


The Two Swordsmasters

by CloudyLightning



Series: Prince of Aincrad [1]
Category: Sword Art Online
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-03 06:20:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5280044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudyLightning/pseuds/CloudyLightning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Accused for being something he wasn't, all he could do was run. But running could only get him so far as he desperately created lie after lie to hide away his past. Unknowingly, his title passed to his brother regretfully, dragging him into a string of lies. When in reality, they were only Swordmasters. They were only human, and nothing more. *Tied to The Prince of Aincrad as a backstory*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Please take note that Kirito, and Kazuto are two COMPLETELY different people. In this story they are NOT one and the same.

The Thumbtack Picture

The thumbtack picture on the wall swayed gently in the wind as a breeze swept through an empty, untouched room. The photo was old and the edges were yellowing with age. In the photo was a picture of two children about the age of eleven. The child on the left was a boy with black hair and eyes. A smudge of red on the photo covered nearly a half of his body. He was standing next to a girl with hazel eyes and silky honey colored hair that fell to her upper back. The boy had a bright grin on his face with his arms crossed. The girl had gentle smile on her thin lips. She wore a shirt that was twice her size and a pair of jeans that were held up by a rope. The boy wore a sleeveless shirt that was once a t-shirt and his shorts fell past his knees.

Anyone would wonder who these children were. To many, they were just children living in a poor place. But to those who knew them, or have heard them talk, they knew otherwise.

._._._._._.

"Kirito!"

A black-haired teen turned around and saw his friend, Lisbeth, running toward him. He dropped the axe in his hand next to the beaten tree stump he had used. With the back of his hand, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and gave Lisbeth a wary smile.

"Ah, Lis," the teen, Kirito, said. "Perfect timing. I need someone to help me carry all the firewood back to the village."

Lisbeth skidded to a halt in front of Kirito. "We can do that later! There's something more important and The Elder wants us to gather at the plaza."

Kirito gave her a confused look. "Why...?"

His friend just grabbed his wrist and began to drag him to the plaza. "The Knights of the Blood Oath are headed this way."

Realization dawned on Kirito. For seven years, he and Lisbeth had trained under warriors, learning how to fight to protect their small village. And now the day has finally come. It was time for Kirito to show his loyalty to his village.

By the time the two reached the plaza, it was crowded with others; all with men, women, and teens with the ability to fight. At the center stood an old, short woman standing on top of a stage. She had a fiery expression in her eyes and her gaze swept across the flood of people. Everyone silenced when she raised her staff high above her head, demanding attention.

"My people," she began, her voice loud and clear with wisdom, "today is the day we must stand! The Knights of the Blood Oath from the Shadowlands is almost upon us. Soon we will stand and fight against them. They cannot take our land away from us for we have been here generations upon generations! Tonight they plan to attack us as we rest. Take the children to the underground area and prepare for battle! We shall not let them take another child away from us! We will stand together and fight!"

Everyone cheered and yelled their determination. Lisbeth joined the yells with her own. Kirito, however, did not join. Silent and unnoticed, he slipped away from the plaza and made quick haste to his home. When he arrived, no one was there to greet him since his "mother" was at the meeting.

He shut the door behind him and headed to his room. In one of the many papers scattered around, there was a single photo of a boy and a girl. It was taken about seven years ago. Kirito reached down and picked it up. He didn't bother to look at the boy since that was him, and focused on the little girl. The Elder at the plaza said that they won't let another child be taken away.

His back fell against the wall as memories of seven years ago came back to him. That girl was one of the few that actually spoken to him when he first arrived in the village. She was the only one able to beat him in a mock battle, always giving him an embarrassing defeat. Not only that, she shared a similar past. Both of them came to the village with no memory of who they were or they are. All they ever knew was their names and their ages.

"Asuna." Kirito muttered as memories of the day the Knights of the Blood Oath's leader, Heathcliff, took her away. He subconsciously wrapped his fingers around a tear shaped crystal pendant that hung around his neck. "I promise to give this back to you one day."

._._._._._.

Night fell quickly and the children were safely hidden underground. Kirito made his way to report to the Elder. The old woman looked up when he entered her office room. He immediately bowed.

"Lady Ellonie, the children are safe. Lisbeth and Agil are watching them." Kirito reported. The Elder, Lady Ellonie, nodded her approval.

"Good, I want you in the front lines. Be one of the first to battle." she said, turning her head away. Kirito couldn't help but feel like she decided to send him to his death. Out of fear of being punished harshly, he raised from his bow and turned to leave.

"Wait, Kirito." called Lady Ellonie. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her as the old woman began to speak.

"Please, promise me that you will not die. I do not want you dying on this battle." she said. She got up from her desk and took Kirito's hands into hers. "After all, you are my child."

Kirito held back a snort, and gave the Elder a gentle smile as he pulled his hands away. "I promise that I won't die...Mother."

He turned around again when he heard Lady Ellonie make a satisfied noise, leaving her office.

._._._._._.

One hour later, the battle against the Knights of the Blood Oath suddenly began. It caught Kirito by surprise when an arrow laced in fire embedded itself into the wall a hairs' length away from his head. His cry of shock was the one that began to battle. The Knights dressed in white and red raided into the village in shocking numbers. Sounds of metal against metal rang through the air, mixing in with the battle cries and the dying screams of defeat.

Kirito did his best fending off those who came close to killing him and saving some of his friends at the last second. Even though he was trained to kill, he never went for the killing blow. Kirito trained himself to protect, not kill. None of the so-called Knights could keep up with his fast slashes and jabs with his dual sword style. Those who met him ended up running away or receiving injuries that rendered them useless.

But Kirito was like any other human being. He still got hurt. He wasn't an invincible fighter, or a cold fighter, just a teenager close to his adult years with high hopes to find his friend again. What he didn't expect though was to meet his best friend here of all places.

Kirito found it odd that his every attack was countered when he ran into another Knight. This Knight was dressed slightly different. Their armor seemed lighter and smaller for a male, making him think that he was definitely not fighting a boy. Plus, this one is the only one still wearing a helmet. Not only that, the woman's movements nearly mirrored his own, different in a few places. Kirito jumped back and pointed his sword, Dark Repulsor, to the Knight.

"Who are you?" he yelled across to her over the battle sounds. The soldier lowered her own sword and removed her helmet. Honey colored hair fell from its confines and warm brown eyes stared back at Kirito. He recognized her immediately.

"Asuna-" Kirito began, but Asuna, the female Knight, interrupted him.

"Kirito? You actually held that for me?" she asked. Kirito blinked and pointed at the pendant around his neck.

"This?"

Asuna nodded. Kirito took it off, completely forgetting about the battle going around them. He held it out to her. "I promised, didn't I? I always keep my promi-"

Kirito didn't finish his sentence as his friend's sword stabbed into his chest, just missing his heart. The pendant slipped out of his fingers and fell to the dirt floor. Asuna had her head bowed down. He only frowned and fell when all the strength just left him. Asuna pulled her sword out and caught her fallen friend. He was still alive, but barely. Luckily for him, her sword didn't run him through.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Kazuto. But Heathcliff ordered me to. I'm really sorry." apologized Asuna frantically, grabbing her friend's hand and brought it to her chest. Kirito huffed for a moment and smiled as if he didn't feel any pain.

"Kazuto? I haven't...heard that name since...the day you were taken." he said quietly. Asuna frowned sadly.

"She changed your name?" she asked gently. Kirito closed his eyes when he felt very tired. All he wanted to do was sleep.

"Yeah, sounds different, huh?" he asked as his head rested in Asuna's arm.

"Kazuto, shut up. Don't talk. I don't want to lose you. Not again." Asuna said as she pulled him closer. "Look, I'm staying with you and I'm never going to leave again. Heathcliff will let me go now that I...did this. Please, hang on for me, okay? Live, promise me!"

She felt her tears run down her cheeks as she heard the battle around her suddenly stop. Asuna looked up and saw everyone backing away from each other. On the balcony was Lady Ellonie with a readied bow in her hands and a furious expression.

"Heathcliff!" She yelled with her strong demanding voice. Asuna watched with dread as Heathcliff walked up with a bloodied sword and shield. "Don't you think this is enough? You have killed so many of us during the years you have taken my people's children! There has been too much bloodshed, too much death... This must end!"

Heathcliff didn't flinch at her words as he smiled darkly. "Yes, you're right. There has been too much bloodshed and death. In fact, I believe we should stop this nonsense, now that her job is finished."

Asuna fought the urge to pick up her sword and kill Heathcliff right there and then as she pressed a hand over Kirito's wound. She could faintly hear his short and uneven breathing. Heathcliff raised his sword and pointed in her direction. All eyes turned to see her desperately adding pressure to the wound of the injured teen in her lap.

"Asuna...?" a voice gasped. She looked up and saw a familiar red-head with a bandana. Klein, a friend she had always relied her back on during mock battles. She cursed in her head as Heathcliff continued to speak.

"The Demon's brother is dead. Killed by the hands of his friend. It is finished." Heathcliff said with a smug smile. Lady Ellonie's eyes held several emotions; regret, disbelief, anger, misery, and grief.

"'Demon's brother? You knew-This whole time you knew? You knew?!" she growled, seething in anger and frustration. "He is not a demon's brother! Kazuto is Kirito's bother! Kirito was a human just like me; just like you, born from a human mother and father! And you have the Goddess-damn guts to call those two brothers demons?! They're my sons!"

Asuna flinched at Ellonie's tone. After all the years she had been gone, the old woman's voice was as strong as it was before, or maybe even stronger. Heathcliff's laughter echoed mockingly.

"Your sons? Kazuto has the blood of the Byakko in his veins and you're telling me that he's human? Just like Kirito ten years ago? Neither of them were truly yours sons now, were they?" Heathcliff taunted her. Ellonie's eyes flashed dangerously as Heathcliff continued with a wretching smirk. "If I recall correctly, you stole Kirito away at a very young age. You kidnapped him."

"Enough of your filthy lies!" Ellonie practically screeched. Asuna quickly ducked as an arrow soared over her head and flew at Heathcliff. The man smoothly jumped back a good seven meters. The arrow landed and a strong burst of magical energy exploded upon impact. Asuna shielded Kazuto from the small pieces of debris as best she could without removing her hand. Once the smoke cleared, Heathcliff looked up at Lady Ellonie with a wide smile.

"I would like to prolong my stay, but it seems that I have pushed my luck with you. It was nice seeing you again, Lady Ellonie." he said. He turned to Asuna, who begged Kazuto desperately to stay with her. "Welcome home, Asuna."

Shocked, her hands froze over the bloody wound and she stared at Heathcliff. There was a murderous smile on his face and Asuna responded without thinking.

"You monster." she told him bluntly. Heathcliff laughed.

"Me? I don't think you should be saying that, dear child. After all, aren't you one, too?"


	2. Kirito

Kirito

Asuna wrung her hands together as she waited obediently in the empty room they locked her in. Her clothes were still fresh with Kazuto's blood and it made her head spin in fear. Her heart ached as she prayed for his survival silently. From the moment they thrown her in this room, she never stopped praying. She hoped for the best and begged the Goddess above to not take her friend away.

But, what if Kazuto never accepts her, never forgives her? Well, it was quite a reasonable thing to do since she did attempt to kill him. No, wait. Attempt? What if he doesn't survive? Then that would be murder.

She would be declared as a murderer. Everyone she tried so hard to come back to for seven long, hard years would hate her. They would make her an outcast for killi-no murdering Lady Ellonie's only son. Asuna was fine with that. She would accept anything that they would throw at her. She wouldn't dare to harm those she loved in this village. It was, after all, her first memory of her amnesiac life.

Kazuto was there, holding a hand to her. He told her that he could bring her to a place that could help her. And true to his word, he did bring her to a place that helped her in so many ways. He gave her a home, friends, and even emotions that never seemed to come easily. Smiling was never easy at first. But living with him for a good year, she learned to love those closest to her, learned that there was something that was willing to help her.

He was her very first memory.

"Please, Kazuto. Live. I'm begging you, please. Live. If not for me, then for Kirito. Please, live for Kirito." she muttered as tears threatened to fall. The door behind her suddenly slammed open. Asuna spun to her feet and gripped the edge of her chair as she addressed the person.

"Klein! How is he? How's Kazuto?' she demanded desperately. The red head seemed to be a taken back by her sudden question, but he was quick to recover with a harsh glare.

"Kirito abandoned that name. He's Kirito now. Remember that." he snapped. Asuna bit the back of her lip and looked away for a moment. She reluctantly sat back down properly under Klein's pressuring glare. She clasped her hands together and held them in regret. They remained in their places before Klein broke the silence.

"Why'd you do it?" he asked her. Asuna lifted her head slightly in surprise. His tone wasn't harsh. Instead, it was soft, barely audible in the dead silence as if he was scared to even ask. Asuna gave a tiny, shaky sigh.

"If I didn't do it, Heathcliff would kill him himself. I couldn't let that happen." she answered gently. There was another thick silence before Klein broke it with a sigh.

"Kazuto's still unconscious, but the wound stopped bleeding. We just have to hope for the best now. If anything, we'll be lucky if he doesn't fall into a coma because of the blood loss. Lady Ellonie said that he should be able to return to his duties in about three months if all goes alright. Well, the easy tasks anyway." Klein said. Asuna tilted her head when Klein suddenly switched to using Kazuto's real name.

"Then I'll hope for the best." she said.

"I knew you'd say that." came a wise, elderly voice. Asuna smiled sadly, immediately recognizing the owner. She waited as the footsteps approached to the other side of the table. She looked up as the steps stopped. There, standing at the opposite side with the table up to her chest, was Lady Ellonie. The woman who took her in seven years ago.

"Hello, Lady Ellonie." Asuna greeted. The woman waved a hand, dismissing Klein. Asuna flinched when the door slammed closed. Lady Ellonie sighed and placed her bony hands on the table. She stared directly into Asuna's eyes.

"Asuna." she began, "if only things were different, then I would've thrown a party to celebrate your return. But, of course, even I cannot bring myself to accept that you have returned to us. Although, I have a feeling that Kiri-no, Kazuto, would forgive you. Maybe in a heartbeat."

Asuna blinked in disbelief, mostly because the Elder stopped herself from saying "Kirito". "I'm sorry?"

Lady Ellonie chuckled softly. "Not once did Kazuto forget you. Nor did he bother to stop asking me why you were taken when it should've been him."

"So you knew then." Asuna said. "You let them take me because you knew what they would do to Kazuto."

Lady Ellonie nodded.

"Yes. I knew if they took Kazuto, they would do the same thing as they did with...him. Please forgive me, Asuna. I never thought that you would have to make such a hard decision." the Elder said with a tone of heavily sadness and regret. Asuna only nodded as she thought over her next next words. Something had been bothering her while she sat here, waiting for any form of news about Kazuto.

"Lady Ellonie," she began with a slight frown. The Elder acknowledged her with a questioning hum. "Please tell me...tell me about Kazuto's brother."

Lady Ellonie flinched as a look of utter regret crossed her face. She didn't speak for a short moment before she answered Asuna. "You mean..." she trailed off, unable to say the name anymore.

"Yes, I mean Kirito." Asuna confirmed with a set look. "Heathcliff told me that Kirito was a Demon that many feared. He even bragged about how he killed him. For a moment, I thought he was insane... But, I have a feeling that it's a lie. Everything he said about Kirito didn't sound right. Destroying a whole town with raging flames... Heartlessly killing innocent people with his two swords... Using trickery to turn people against each other... Freezing a whole temple over in anger... turning the forest sprites against humans... It sounds like a good story for naive idiots with what I heard from someone in the village of Trancey."

The Elder's shoulders slouched and she suddenly looked several years older. "Trancey, you say? What did that person tell you?"

Asuna managed a half smile. "That it was a lie. All of it. That, among the spirits that guard our realm, Kirito was known as a 'Renewer' or the 'Restorer' of the Good, the Strongest Mage. And...that Kazuto was his little brother. Even you said that those two were brothers. So, why...? Why did everyone hate Kirito?"

Lady Ellonie shook her head and stared at a distance. "It's true. Kirito was Kazuto's older brother. He was a wonderful child that was a master at the dual bladed style that I never truly taught him. But, he possessed a gift that brought fear into the hearts of many. They feared him because they didn't know just what Kirito was capable of. They feared his power and called him a demon. Soon, he was labeled as a demon throughout our world."

Asuna took every word in and urged Lady Ellonie on. "So, what caused all this? What did Kirito do?"

Lady Ellonie smiled sadly. "He did everything in his power to protect everyone he loved most. He lied."

._._._._._.

_Swirls of thin, silver-white, ribbon-like strands of magic twirled in the air as it danced near a small child. They shimmered in the dying light of the setting sun, seeking the child's warmth. It loosely wrapped itself around the child's body, gathering mostly at the his hands. The small child's dark eyes were focused on his small palms. A magic circle filled with several symbols slowly turned as the strands of magic spilled outward, caressing the child in its gentle touch._

_But even with its comforting touch, the child's heart was in turmoil. He wanted to ignore the world outside, but he knew he shouldn't. The world outside hated him. The other children called him names. The adults harmed him, burned him, closed him off, threw him out. Many have even cursed him to die a pitiful death. And for what? For being the son of a farmer? For living in his home? For just existing?_

_"Akuma!" called a teenager. Hatred was clear in his glaring eyes, daring the boy to do something._

_No, he wasn't an Akuma. He wasn't an evil person._

_"How dare you...how DARE you! You did it, you did it! You made ME kill my husband! YOU turned MY husband against ME by making him tell ME that YOU were just a kid! LIES! YOU killed him! YOU KILLED him!" cried a furious woman with a knife gripped firmly in her hands. Blood coated the knife's blade and dripped steadily to the floor. A body limply laid on the ground behind her as its blood slowly seeped into the soft soil._

_What? No. He didn't come near her husband. How could he kill someone he never touched? She was the one who killed her own husband. Right?_

_"Ah! NO! Get away from me! I HATE you!" screamed a little girl as she waved her arms and threw a rock at him. She had stumbled back several steps until her back smacked the wall behind her. Her eyes were filled with fear and anger._

_But why? He didn't do anything. He just wanted to give her the ribbon she dropped. Did she hate him because he was being nice? Or was it because he healed a near dead bird? But, shouldn't she be happy? That bird was sitting on his shoulder, alive and well now. Is that why she was angry at him? Because he took her bird away? No, he only wanted to help. She can have her bird back. "_

_Stay away from ME!" snapped a boy as he swung his lantern at the child. His expression held pure annoyance and frustration._

_No! He didn't want to be left alone! Not in this dark forest. Please! Wait! Don't go! It's dangerous! Please, take him home. Please...?_

_"If only they never gave birth to you, Demon."_

_Demon? Why? Why won't they stop? What did he do? How was he a demon? Did he do something he wasn't supposed to do? How come no one else could do what he could do? Why? Why did they hate him so much? What made them fear him? Did everyone hate him?_

_Why...? Why? Why?! WH-_

_**"I'm so sorry, Kirito. But please, remember. I love you. Mama loves you so much. Nothing could ever make me hate you. Nor will anything make me love you any less."** said a woman with her black hair in a loose bun. She held the child in her arms tenderly, yet fiercely, scared to lose her dearest son. A man stood next to his wife, smiling brightly as he held his son's face with a calloused hand. He ran his other hand through his son's dark hair as he spoke in his strong, fatherly tone. _

_**"Papa loves you, too, Kirito. Nothing will ever replace you. You are my dearest son, I will never left anyone destroy you. You are a strong child with a gift that makes you amazing. Even if you didn't have this gift you would still be an amazing child. You are MY child, and no one, no one will ever change that. Why? Because both me and your Mother love you so much. And you are no Demon. You'll never turn into one."** _

_The small child slowly looked up. Before him stood a massive tiger seven times his size. The tiger softly padded over to him and curled its body around him. Its large, fluffy tail laid in front of the boy and its head rested next to the boy's side. The boy blinked sadly and leaned heavily on the tiger as he felt his energy drain from him. The strands of magic slipped away as the magic circle in his hands faded from existence. The boy's leg buckled under his own weight as he landed softly on the tiger's waiting side._

_**"You have summoned me, Byakko, the Spirit of the West, Ruler of Fall. I will take you under my charge, and I will teach you everything you need. I will teach you the ways of the 'Restorers', as I have been doing for centuries."** the tiger muttered in his ear. The boy suddenly felt at peace in the tiger's presence. All the harsh voices that constantly plagued him were gone, and he could still hear the comforting voices of his parents, coaxing him to sleep. As he began to slip into unconsciousness, he heard the tiger's strong voice whisper to him. _

**_"You can never be a Demon... for you are human."_ **

._._._._._.

This wasn't supposed to happen. He was only supposed to restore the damaged contract between the forest sprites and his "Guardian", not running for his life. How could a simple ten minute ceremony become such a disaster? But, then again, luck never seemed to be in his favor.

A branch snapped loudly as a black-haired teen trampled it. He felt his heart jump into his throat when he heard the voices of his chasers. His green-white sword glowed slightly, begging him to stop and fight. But, he shook his head and tightened his grip around his other sword. The blade gleamed in the twilight, telling him where to go.

"Hey! I heard him! He's up ahead!"

"We got him now!" An arrow whizzed past his head.

"An archer?!" the teen exclaimed as he knocked another off course with his sword. The arrow embedded itself into tree nearby. With a quick glance behind him, he bit his lip. Three imperial knights were hot on his tail. One was holding a crossbow, already reloading. Another was holding a steel lance, ready to throw it at him. The last one had a silver sword drawn. Thinking quickly, the teen snatched a loose leaf from a branch and held it to his lips. Half of his energy was spent on the interrupted ceremony, but he couldn't stop now. If he didn't live, then there would be no one else to take his place as "Restorer". A cliff was close ahead of him, but he kept running. He whispered a few words and felt a bit of his energy slip right into it easily. Desperately, he threw the leaf as hard as he could.

"Please make it!" he begged as he neared the ledge. He heard his chasers close behind him.

"Stop right there!"

"No, stop! You'll die!" As a last ditch effort to stop him, an arrow stabbed into his leg. He faltered, but kept running. The assault didn't stop there. He cried out as the lance grazed his side, ripping through his black coat and cutting deep into his skin. Warm, bright red blood splattered on the ground, making him worry about his gash in his side. The lance itself soared right over the edge, falling a good eighty yards. The teen didn't dare to look back as he leapt off the ledge. His chasers all yelled in shock and looked over the ledge in worry.

"We were supposed to get him alive, dammit!" one growled. A sudden gust of wind swept them off their feet and onto their rears. The three looked up in shock as a gigantic leaf flew above them. One of them spotted the teen pulling out the arrow in his leg. The teen bit the back of his lip to keep himself from whimpering at the excruciating pain lacing his left leg.

He held the arrow in his bloody hands and aimed it like a spear. As the gigantic leaf began to float away, he focused a small amount of his magic into it and threw it. A bright flash of green sparked from the arrow, the magic propelling the arrow forward.

The three chasers leapt back to avoid the arrow. To their surprise, the arrow only tapped the ground and fell over. Bits of white dissipated as the magic faded away. The one with the crossbow was quick to reload and aim another arrow at the teen. It sliced through the air and hit its mark. The teen was unprepared and paid dearly when he failed block it with his sword. He gasped in agony as the arrow buried deep into his open wound on his side.

Stars erupted at the back of his eyes as all his concentration shattered. The gigantic leaf quivered and popped back into its original size. The teen couldn't do anything as he felt gravity take over. His grip on his black sword loosened and the blade flashed bright red for an instant as it gradually fell away from his hand.

He was in midair. There was nothing to stop him from falling to his death. He stared at the sky, praying for the Goddess to somehow save him.

._._._._._.

The three chasers watched as the teen fell into the forest below.

"Goddess-damn! We lost him! We should've killed him." spat the Swordsman when he lost sight of their target in the green, lush forest below them.

"He wasn't trying to kill us." said the now lance-less soldier. He picked up the arrow and looked at his fellow companions. The Archer (or could she even be considered as an archer?) scowled in disbelief.

"Kill us? He killed half of our unit and you're telling me that he's not trying to kill us?!" she snapped. She lowered her crossbow and stalked over to the Lancer. She grabbed the arrow from him and snapped it in half. "This demon is the only reason we are living in fear! Him and his little group of friends are the ones who destroyed generations upon generations of peace for hundreds of years! They deserve to pay for what they've done!"

The Swordsman sheathed his sword. "Enough! Arguing here isn't going to get that demon back. Besides, he's injured right?"

The Archer huffed in frustration and threw the broken arrow to the ground. "Don't Demons heal fast? He'll be back for revenge!"

The Lancer shook his head and knelt to the ground, dipping his fingers in Kirito's small pool of blood. He lifted his hand to stare at it. After a couple seconds, a thought popped in his head. He turned to look at his companions.

"Hey, everyone said that the blood of the demon is black and burns a human, right?" he asked. The Archer had a confused expression on her face before she glanced at the Lancer's hand. Her eyes widened.

"You idiot! That's-" she cut herself off with a gasp when realization dawned on her. "...Oh, Goddess. No."

The Swordsman bent down to pick up the broken arrow. Crimson blood coated it and glowed slightly in the setting sun. He twirled it in his hand with wide eyes. "...Guys, I don't think we were chasing a demon."

"But, then that means-"

"He wasn't a demon in the first place." The three shared a look of silent horror. The Archer covered her mouth.

"Oh, my Etra! He's only a child! He's-" she cut herself off again when a horrid thought crossed her mind. Her lip quivered as she spoke. "And Heathcliff wants to kill him?!"

Heathcliff, the newest leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath, the man that no one could beat, the person who claimed that a person named Kirito was a hundred-year-old demon to be feared. Everyone who followed him believed him. He seemed to tell nothing but honest truths. The Lancer gripped his fist tightly in restrained fury as the Swordsman gripped the handle of his steel sword.

Heathcliff lied to not just them, but to everyone in the whole country.

._._._._._.

Loud sounds of branches snapping and trees shaking echoed as Kirito fell into the dense forest. It took him a good thirty seconds before he landed in batch of undergrowth, softening his fall greatly. He cried out as he landed on his uninjured side. His black sword stabbed next to his leg, a little too close for comfort.

"D-dam-mnn..." he muttered as he reeled in pain. He could vaguely feel his leg pulsing in pain as his side injury overwhelmed his senses. He never had a damn arrow enter an open wound before. Kirito gasped as he forced himself to sit up.

"Uwagh!"

He got on his knees and used the closest tree as his support to help him up. His vision blurred as he leaned heavily on the tree. Knowing that the arrow wasn't going to help him, he gripped the jutting end. He snapped the arrow in half, biting his lip open and causing it to bleed. Not a good idea, but at least it turned his scream into a high pitched whimper. Kirito tossed the broken piece off to the side and tried to take a breather. It didn't help.

"Gah-hah..." he breathed as he tried to focus on anything but the pain. His dark eyes caught sight of his gleaming sword and stumbled over to it. He grabbed the hilt as a support and managed to yank it out of the ground without falling over. A green ball of light popped out of a tree and paused in front of Kirito. He forced a grin on his face.

"H-hey," he choked. He could feel something get sticky in his throat but he chose to ignore it. "Sor-ry, I wasn't able to fi-nish the cerem-mony. I'll have to come back l-later."

He held a hand to the forest sprite ad it came willingly. A drip of blood started to trail from the edge of his lip to his chin. He held back the urge to cough to be considerate of the forest sprite. It seemed to blink and suddenly took off, flying in circles around him. Green dust sparkled around him. Kirito breathed a sigh as he felt a rush of coolness flow through him. The pain in his side dulled to a throb as it healed partially. He was able to stand easily on his legs as his leg injury completely healed. He was unable to thank the sprite as it suddenly flew away, leaving him puzzled.

_Snap!_

Kirito quickly spun on his heel, finally drawing his other sword and falling into a battle stance. His eyes narrowed as a shadowy figure of his enemy appeared before him. He gripped his sword tightly in his hands and took a cautious step back.

"Who's there!?" he called out. He already knew who it was by the huge shield his enemy held. A twinge of anger flared in his chest but he fought his urge to run up and stab the man. To do so would be foolish and rather pointless. He glared at Heathcliff as he stopped a good six feet away. The guild leader had a "pleasant" smile on his face. Kirito was not fooled.

"Are you the Demon everyone fears?" Heathcliff asked, brandishing his sword. Kirito sighed and shook his head as he sheathed his swords.

"Even if I answer yes or say no, are you going to kill me the same way you killed Ryoutarou?" Kirito asked as he stared at Heathcliff.

"Ryoutarou? Was that the man-no, I mean, demon I had vanquished the other day?" the man asked with a mocking tone. Kirito resisted the urge to draw his blades as rage surged though him. How could Heathcliff call his best friend a demon!

"Ryoutarou was no demon!" Kirito snapped. His magic flared and changed his eye color to a bright green for a brief second as he lost control for that moment. No doubt that Heathcliff didn't miss it with his sly grin. Kirito clenched his fist as he continued, "Sure he acted like a fool here and there, and even acted as if he was my mother or something, he was still a man! A person! What did he ever do to hurt you?!"

Heathcliff laughed as if he said something funny. "What did he do? He befriended you and became a demon. He even rode a creature of fire."

"How Goddess-damn dense can you be?!" Kirito yelled, swinging an arm around. Heathcliff suddenly stopped laughing and gave Kirito a serious stare.

"Enough of this nonsense. I didn't come here to talk about that dead demon. Nor did I come to end your long life... yet." Heathcliff said. Kirito felt a shiver go down his back at the tone. He gritted his teeth and took another step back.

"Then why are you here?" he demanded. A "happy" smile appeared on Heathcliff's face as he leisurely walked over to him.

"I'm here to offer you a deal." He said. Kirito took several steps back and was backed up into a tree. He gritted his teeth as Heathcliff came closer.

"I refuse." Kirito said, not wanting to hear it. He held Heathcliff's gaze as the older man impaled his sword dangerously close to Kirito's head.

"You might want to listen, Demon." Heathcliff growled. Kirito glared at him, but he kept silent.

"Good. Join me, and I will spare you and your friends." Heathcliff offered. Kirito blinked. Join him? Join the man who killed Ryoutarou? No, he could never join him. He just knew that if he did, then he would be dead within the hour. But the look on Heathcliff's face told him he probably had no other choice. He bit his lip and looked away.

"If I say no, would you kill me?" he asked.

"Yes." came Heathcliff's blunt answer. Kirito closed his eyes and took a breath.

"Then, give me time to think about it." he said. Heathcliff frowned as he pulled his sword out of the tree. Kirito could finally breathe as the older man backed away.

"I will give you until the next time we meet. I recommend you take my offer." Heathcliff said as he sheathed his sword. Kirito stayed rooted at his place as he left. His hands were clenched in fury and his stature shook in frustration.

_BANG!_

A huge gust of magic exploded, but it didn't harm the vegetation of the forest. But what was left behind as Kirito walked away, was a dying blue flame.

"Live or die. Have friends or no one. Lie or don't. Protect or destroy. All these damn choices...suck as hell." He muttered.


	3. A Little Brother

A Little Brother

Soft clanking of wood against wood could be heard in a small room. A light blue haired teen held an arrow in his hands as he placed his hand made bow on his work table. He inspected the arrow in his hands silently as he turned it over and over, looking at it in several angles. His teal eyes narrowed slightly when he saw a small chip in the arrowhead. Frowning, he picked up a small dagger on his table and swiftly, yet carefully sliced the string that held the arrowhead at the tip.

The teen placed the shaft on his table and got up to find a whetstone. The room was small and had several shelves containing a various amount of materials to make anything. The small space didn't bother him at all. In fact, it reduced the amount of walking to do. Without much of a thought, his left hand swiped up a whetstone and began sharpening the arrowhead. He stood there as he skillfully made a quick work of the chip, reducing it to a sharped end. Once he was finished, he placed the stone back in its original place. As he sat back down, his hand automatically grabbed a ball of string and began to reattach the arrowhead to the shaft.

He worked in silence, not having any reason to make any noises. He could hear the sound of the rustling leaves outside his window and the familiar chops of his brother cutting wood outside. Just faintly, he could hear his brother lightly singing a recognizable song through the closed window. The teen smiled as he wrapped the string around on last time before securing it. He returned the leftover string on the shelf and checked his handiwork.

_Knock, knock!_

Blinking in surprise, the teen looked up from his arrow and looked at the window. There, standing right behind it, was a blonde haired teen waving at him to open the window. The light blue haired teen placed his repaired arrow on his table and got up to open the window. He pulled the window panes inward and gave the other a stare.

"Sorry to bother you, Yukio, but I need you to do something while I prepare for tonight's dinner." said the blonde haired teen. Yukio, the light blue haired teen, blinked slowly.

"I'm done." he deadpanned in a subdued, quiet voice. Eugeo, the blonde haired teen, was Yukio's twin brother. Although they didn't have the same hair color, they shared nearly everything else. They had the same teal colored eyes, same height, weight, and even facial features. Both of them were practically mirrors. But, there were differences. Yukio had a slightly slimmer build than Eugeo, and barely ever speaks. Eugeo did most of the adult things around their small home, giving him a slightly stronger build. He was older by only a few minutes. Eugeo smiled brightly.

"Great! Just get a couple of herbs, alright? I just remembered that we're low on thyme, and poppy flowers." he said as he leaned against the window sill. Eugeo glanced behind him and smiled slightly when he spotted the bow. "Was there another chip again?"

"Un." was his response. Although it didn't sound like much, Eugeo quickly got the message with a nod.

"Alright, you be careful, okay? And don't take too long." Eugeo advised as he released his hand. Without a word, Yukio turned away from the window. He smoothly picked up his bow and arrow and strode into the living room. He paused at the short row of hooks near the front door. He took his full quiver down and a small pouch for the herbs. He slipped in the arrow and walked right out the door, strapping on the quiver and tying an empty pouch to his belt. Even though he was only picking herbs, it was dangerous to walk around unarmed. He would be foolish to even consider it.

Yukio paused for a moment and looked at the forest that surrounded his home. The birds that usually chirped were unusually quiet. The wind was still but the air was still cold. He pressed his lips together and tightened his grip on his bow. A feeling of unease made him shiver slightly. The forest was strangely silent today. Putting up his guard, Yukio headed deeper into the forest to find the herbs Eugeo asked him to get.

He had paused several times at patches of thyme and picked a few, humming softly to himself as he worked. Yukio knew he had to go a little further to find poppy flowers. As he searched for any sign of red poppy flowers, he practically traversed the forest with ease. After living in that small house for nearly all of his sixteen years of life, he knew the forest like the back of his hand. He even took a bit of pride in himself for it. He walked confidently, strolling over fallen trees, making tiny, short jumps over small steams, and keeping a close eye out for any small animals.

Yukio was about to pass a clearing when he stopped a blotch of red. Although, it was the type of red he was looking for, something didn't seem right. It seemed too...unnatural, and splattered. He turned on his heel and made his way to it.

"...blood?" he muttered to himself as he knelt down to the dried splatter. He reached down and took a pinch of red dirt and rubbed it in between his fingers. The dirt was still slightly wet and blood stained his fingertips. He bit the back of his lip as he looked around. Blood was literally splattered, as if it flew off. The undergrowth was stained with it. Yukio looked up at a tree. He could see a thin cut in its bark and hints of red. He stood up and ran a finger over the small cut and immediately came to a conclusion.

Someone was injured, and by the looks of it, they got away with a serious injury. Yukio's eye caught a glimpse of broken wood. His heart lurched in fear as he rushed over and picked up a broken piece of wood. It was a broken arrow. More than half of it was missing.

"Oh, Goddess Etra." he breathed as he stopped a trail of blood leading away from the scene. Without a second thought, he quickly followed the trail, stumbling over random roots. Several trees passed him and he lost track of how far he traveled. He was too focused on the trail.

And he was scared.

He never had seen so much blood in a while and it never ceased to scare him. Yukio's grip on the broken arrow tightened when he took a short break to catch his breath. But the chance never came when he spotted someone he thought he would never see again. A teen with silk black hair covering his face was collapsed on the ground on his side. A broken piece of wood coated with dry blood jutted from his side in a crude manner. Yukio could barely see the blood on the other teen's black clothing. A long black sword was gripped loosely in the teen's hand. Next to the blade's bloodied tip was a dead wild wolf with its neck slashed open. Another sword was sheathed on his back and glowed slightly. Yukio's eyes widened when it finally sunk in. The broken arrow slipped from his hand and breathed a single name with wide, horrified teal eyes.

"Kirito."

._._.~Two Hours Later~._._.

His sword clanked against his side as Eugeo kicked the front door closed. In his hands was a bucket of fresh water from a nearby river. He only took about ten minutes.

"I'm back!" Eugeo said as he walked to the kitchen and placed the bucket next to the water basin. Knowing Yukio's lack of communication, they developed a weird way of "talking". He paused when he didn't hear Yukio's usual knock on the wall.

"...Yukio?"

He left the kitchen and checked the tiny workroom, finding it empty. Eugeo bit the back of his lip and began to check the whole house, calling his brother's name. The house itself wasn't too small, nor was it too big. It was just enough to accommodate the two brothers and a guest.

"Yukio? How come you're not back yet?!" he called out as he stopped in the living room. He rubbed the back of his neck. "It shouldn't take two hours to pick herbs!"

He was worried now. Yukio never took that long for a simple trip of herbs. Normally, he would be back within an hour. Eugeo frowned and strode over to the door.

"That's it." he said as he reached for the door, pulling it open. "I'm going to-"

He froze at the sight before him. His teal eyes widened with shock and his mind completely blanked for a moment, taking in the horrid sight before him. There, standing before him with a bloody mess in his arms, was his little brother. Yukio's eyes were wide with panic and fear. Two odd swords were strapped to his back and his bow was hastily stuffed in his quiver. He seemed generally fine, if it wasn't for the thing he was holding. The bloody mess in his arms laid so still that Eugeo could've sworn that it wasn't alive. The black clothes were dried with blood, giving it a tinge of red. Eugeo could faintly see a slight rise and fall from the mess. He saw a broken piece of thin wood similar to an arrow jutting out like a sore thumb.

"By the Goddess-" Eugeo began. He was about to ask who or what the heck Yukio was holding, until he finally recognized the swords. Out of all the people he knew, there was only one person that could wield the Elucidator and the Dark Repulser. He immediately jumped into action.

"Goddess-damn, get him inside! Kirito might be internally bleeding!" he told his brother as he rushed away from the door to get the medical herbs he knew he needed. He heard Yukio hurry inside. Eugeo barely spared a glance at what he was grabbing as he hurried. Not even a minute later, he rushed to the kitchen and found Kirito laid carefully on the table. Fortunately, the teen was slightly smaller than the table, giving Eugeo an advantage. Yukio was already grabbing a clean rag and soaking it in water.

Eugeo placed everything to the side and inspected Kirito's side. The wound had already stopped bleeding, but he could tell that the broken arrow was buried deep in his side. He bit his lip and shared a knowing glance with Yukio.

"I'll hold him down." Yukio said softly, yet firmly. Eugeo nodded as he gently wrapped a hand around the arrow. He waited for his brother to place a twisted cloth in Kirito's mouth and pinned his arms away from his sides. Once Yukio was all set, the two looked at each other and gave a grim nod. They both took a breath to prepare themselves.

"One..." Yukio whispered. Eugeo angled his arm to match with the arrow.

"Two..." Eugeo said steadily as he tightened his grip. Yukio gripped Kirito's pinned arms tighter.

"THREE!" They both exclaimed in unison. Eugeo immediately pulled slowly and a loud, agonized, muffled scream rang through and a hundred feet away from the house, scaring several birds.

._._.~A Couple Days Later~._._.

The sunlight from the window streamed though and touched the hand of the sleeping "Restorer". He was in a "bed", which was a cushion, a pillow and a woven blanket, at the corner of their only guest room. Eugeo wasn't the one who suggested the idea, but rather, Yukio's. They did their best to clean up their friend, and now, he looked pretty normal. All the bloodied black clothing was replaced by Yukio's old hand-me-down shirt and a pair of Eugeo's ripped-at-the-knees pants. The blood and dirt was all wiped away. White bandages were wrapped neatly around his stomach and covered various other minor cuts. It took a while, but Kirito's pale complexion returned to his normal tan. Eugeo was shocked to find that Kirito had the damn arrow in an open gash in his side. Both twins concluded that whoever shot Kirito was damn good or had an incredible amount of luck.

Kirito's hand twitched as he finally started to wake up. His face scrunched up in pain as his side burned uncontrollably. He couldn't help the whimper that left him. He blearily opened his eyes slowly and then closed them, trying to figure out where in the world he was. He reopened his eyes a few seconds later and stared at the familiar wooden ceiling above him.

"Wh-at the...?" he croaked. His voice cracked since his throat was dry. Kirito slowly sat up, hissing at the burning in his side. He placed a tentative hand over the general area and looked at the window just right of him. His eyes widened a little when he spotted a familiar pair of teal eyes staring right at him. Yukio was standing near the window with a dead rabbit slung over his shoulder. He seemed to have paused in mid-step since his body was turned in another direction.

Kirito felt his jaw slack as his eyes widened in realized where he was. "Ah."

Yukio didn't even blink as he turned away from the window, disappearing somewhere. Kirito couldn't help but frown, swearing he saw a bit of relief in Yukio's eyes for a split second. The door to his room suddenly opened. Kirito turned his head to see Eugeo holding a cup of tea and a pouch of something in a bowl of a grinder.

"What the hell happened to you?" Eugeo asked, deciding to bombard him with the most straightforward question he had. Kirito forced a smile and waved at him.

"Just doing a restoring ceremony." he answered. Eugeo strode over to his side and plopped himself next to him. Kirito took the offered cup into his hands gingerly, trying hard not to move too much.

"You're an idiot. The last time we've seen you was the day you left to perform the ceremony." Eugeo said with a straight face. He loosened the drawstring and poured its contents into the bowl. Kirito's smile faltered slightly.

"It was only just yesterday." he said, taking a small sip from the warm tea. Although he was calm outside, he was panicking inside. Eugeo managed to keep his expression flat as he began to grind the dried up leaves and seeds.

" _That_ was nearly a _week_ ago, Kirito." he said, grinding the mixture with a little more force than necessary. Kirito nearly choked on his tea and sprayed it out of his mouth, making the other teen glare at him.

"A week?!" Kirito exclaimed, staring at Eugeo with wide eyes. Eugeo frowned and took the tea from his hands and poured the mixture into the cup.

"Uh-huh. The day after you left for your ceremony, we were pretty damn sure you home. But, no. That didn't happen. In fact, Yukio just _had_ to freaking find you by complete accident two days later and scare the living, bloody hell out of us." he said, emphasizing a few of his words. Eugeo stirred the mixture and looked directly into Kirito's black eyes with seriousness. "Now, let me ask you this again. What the _hell_ happened to you?"

Kirito flinched at the tone of Eugeo's voice and looked away. "...the ceremony was interrupted."

Eugeo crossed his legs and pressed his lips together. "They rejected you?"

"No, it was interrupted." Kirito said shaking his head. "There were a few scouts nearby and they saw me reciting the Restoration. I had to abandon it immediately. I tried to make an escape but they managed to injure me."

"With the extent of your injures, I'd say that it was enough to cancel out your magic." Eugeo said with a sigh. Kirito nodded grimly. In the background, they could hear Yukio coming in from the front door and heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"That's exactly what happened. When I fell off the cliff, a forest sprite healed a wound in my leg but not my side. We were interrupted by that guy. The one who murdered Ryoutarou." he said. He didn't even need to say who it was. Eugeo knew him long enough to know his enemies and there was only one he didn't address by their name.

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" he asked. Kirito clenched his jaw.

"No, not physically." he said. "But he made a deal with me."

"A deal?" Yukio asked from the doorway. Both boys turned to see him without his bow. He was scowling slightly as he leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed. Kirito sighed.

"If I join him, he will spare all of my friends. I'm not sure if that includes you two. If I refuse, he'll kill me. Although, I doubt he'll keep his word if I join him. The next time I meet him, I have to have an answer." he said. Eugeo and Yukio shared a look of understanding.

"...Kirito, I can't tell you what to choose, but I can tell you this." Eugeo began as he handed the tea back to Kirito. "Do whatever you think is the right way. Maybe, there might just be another way you haven't noticed yet. A third choice."

"A third?" Kirito asked, taking the tea. Eugeo smiled and patted the younger boy's head.

"You'll see." he assured. He gathered up his materials and stood up. "In the meantime, you can stay here until you have recovered. And trust me, I'm not the one who is going to tell you when you're all good to go."

Kirito gave him a questioning look. "Eh?"

"I am." Yukio said with a slightest ghost of a smirk. Kirito forced a smile as he sweatdropped. He suddenly remembered the last time he was injured. Yukio was very scary when it came to recovering. Once he purposely scared Kirito into staying in bed. Kirito gulped at the memory of seeing Yukio's easy smile on his face with a readied bow in his hands at point blank.

"A-ah. R-right..."

._._.~A Month Later~._._.

Kirito pulled his black hood over his head as he entered the village of Trancey. The moon neared its peak as he slipped into the back alley ways to avoid detection. Just recently, Yukio had finally allowed him to leave the forest after he completed the restoration ceremony. Of course, that time he was accompanied by the twins. Immediately after, he left to go home. Not where he was whisked away to, but to his birth town.

He hid in the shadows as people passed by him. He found it a bit strange how there was a bit more people than there normally was late at night, but he ignored it. No one bothered much to give him a second glance as he strode through the streets.

"-heard that The Mother of the Demon Child has committed something again." came a voice from a pair standing in front of a well near a building. Kirito slowed his pace unnoticed, his curiosity getting the better of him. He knew immediately who they were talking about. In this town, there was only one name they ever called his mother. The Mother of the Demon Child. He discreetly made it look like he was going to get water from the well.

"Her? I hardly consider her as a criminal. All she ever did was become a wife of a farmer." said the other, crossing their arms. Kirito pressed his lips together and kept his head slightly bowed as he reached them.

"She gave birth to a demon." The first said harshly. "And that demon is still out there!"

"What? That was fifteen years ago! Do you expect her to do it again?" the second questioned. "Didn't Authorities murder her husband a few months ago?"

"But that's the _thing_ ," the first stressed. "The Mother of the Demon Child gave birth to another child!"

Kirito's hand slipped on the rope as he lowered the bucket. Panicking internally, he quickly grabbed the rope before it fell into the well. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder and breathed a silent sigh of relief. They hadn't noticed.

" _What?_ " the second asked, shock clearly evident in their voice. "And they killed her husband, knowing that she was going to have a second child?!"

"It seems so. According to the rumors, they're planning to kill the child before it grows up to be like his brother. I also heard that they're planning to give her the same pain of losing everything they loved."

Kirito heard enough. He completely dropped his act and released the rope, letting it fall into the water below. He spun on his heel and dashed in the direction of his home. Fear and dread gripped him horribly when he registered everything. His hood fell away and nobody bothered to recognize him. His vision blurred as he ran. Kirito quickly wiped his eyes and hurried home.

Just nearly a year ago, he visited his parents at the suggestion of his mentor, or second "Mother". He could clearly remember his father's delighted smile and the warm welcome he received the moment he arrived. His mother cried tears of joy that day. He remembered her cupping his cheeks and whispering how much he had grown.

As he neared his isolated home at the edge of town, he just knew he was late. He lost his father and very soon he was about to lose his mother and a newborn brother. He nearly tripped on the stairs as his heart twisted. A brother. He had a brother! Out of all the craziness in his fifteen years of his life, he never once had he expected this coming. He had wondered once or twice of how life would be like if he had a sibling. Would his new baby brother turn out to be just like him? Or would he be a normal child?

Kirito tripped up the stairs of his house and clicked open the door. He slipped inside and closed the door behind himself. With a flick of his wrist, he casted a sealing spell to seal the door shut. He could barely see the interior because of the poor lighting. He shook his head and hurried to the living room.

"Mother! Are you here?!" he exclaimed, not caring if anyone outside heard him. He held up a hand and waved it in the air, muttering a spell. In an instant, a ball of flame appeared in the palm of his hand and lit up the whole room. He froze. A woman in her mid-thirties stood at the doorway into the next room over. Her dark eyes were tired and had small circles underneath them. Her black hair hung messily from her bun and her figure was stiff and wary. In her arms was a bundle of white blankets.

"Kirito?" she whispered as she took in her son's appearance. She strode into the room and placed a smooth hand on his cheek with relief in her eyes. "Thank the Goddess, you're alive! I received a letter from Eugeo that you were in a horrible shape, but you seem to be alright now."

Kirito seemed to snap out of his stupor and took his mother's hand into his own, holding it at his face. He frowned. "For the time being."

He looked down to the bundle of white and gasped, releasing his mother's hand. A small child was staring up at him with curious black eyes that matched his own. A bit of black baby hairs covered his scalp. Kirito looked up at his mother. "Is this...?"

His mother smiled fondly as she rocked the newborn with one arm and pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Kirito, this is Kazuto. Your new baby brother."

A small giggle could be heard as Kazuto reached Kirito with a small, chubby hand. Kirito blinked in surprise and looked to his mother for approval. She nodded and held Kazuto to him. Hesitantly, Kirito dismissed the ball of flame, making the room dark again, and tentatively took the small child in his arms. The moment he made sure that his new brother was held properly, he couldn't help but feel happy. For a moment, he forgot about the fear he had and smiled at Kazuto. He glanced at his mother and he missed the frown on her face.

She wanted to hold both of her children dearly, but she knew that time was short. She was lucky enough for her oldest to suddenly appear. It saved her the time to look for him. She knew if Kazuto stayed with her, he would be killed. There was no one she could trust. She no longer had a husband at her side to support her and protect Kazuto. Authorities took away her foothold to survive. She only had one other option left.

"Kirito," his mother began grimly, "take Kazuto and go."

"Eh?" Kirito asked. He looked at his mother with an incredulous stare. "But he's-Mother, you know what you're asking me, right?"

"Yes." came her answer. "Please, Kirito, for me."

Kirito shook his head. "Mother, he's only a new-born isn't he? He needs you more than me!"

"And right now, he needs you more than me!" she snapped. Kirito took a step back, surprised with his mother's sudden outburst. She took a shuddering breath, and gripped the sides of his arms. "Kirito, I am begging you. Take your brother and leave this place. Never look back, never come back. You of all people should know why I am asking you. Please!"

Kirito winced at his mother's grip, but held on to Kazuto, who seemed to have slipped into a nap. He couldn't tell if he vision blurred as water threatened to drop. "No, I can't do that. I can't-"

"Kirito, _please!_ For once in your life, just do as I ask!" she pleaded. The teen bit the back of his bottom lip and shook his head.

"No, no, Mother, I already told you, I ca-"

_Knock, knock, knock!_

They both froze as they heard the knocks on the front door.

"Hey! Open the door!"

Kirito hugged his brother to his chest and immediately brought himself back into reality. If he were to leave without Kazuto and his mother, they would be killed without any questions asked. Kazuto was still just a newborn child and his mother wasn't as strong as she used to be. If he wanted to get them both out of here, he would have to be the distraction himself, but his mother would not be willing to run. At the same time, he couldn't leave his mother here to die!

_Bang, bang, bang!_

"Open up, Goddess-damn! We know you're in there!"

"Kirito, please." his mother began as her grip loosened. The banging increased and the shouting grew in number. "I love you so much, that I can't bear to see you hurt anymore. Don't let Kazuto be a burden you must carry, but rather a reason to live. I know you are still here for the renewing ceremonies and your father and I. I want Kazuto to be your little brother. I don't know if he is normal like any other child or like you, but please. Don't see him as if he is a favor you must keep, or even a promise to me."

Kirito blinked as he felt his mother wrap her arms around him, and not crushing Kazuto, completely ignoring the progressively louder shouts. He heard her whisper in his ear.

"See him as a promise to live another day in this world."

He gritted his teeth as he stood in his mother's arms, holding his baby brother. "...Alright. I'll go."

He could feel his mother smiling as she kissed his cheek and Kazuto's forehead. She backed away and gestured up the stairs to the right. "I wish you well, my dear sons. I wish that you'll have a brighter future from now on."

"I wish you well, too, Mother. May the Goddess have her protection over you." He said in return. With a quick, heart-wrenching nod, he hurried up the stairs carefully to not jostle his little brother. He headed into his room and didn't bother to stop as he silently opened his window. Outside, he saw an abnormally large white tiger sitting on its haunches, waiting for him. Gritting his teeth, he leapt out the window.

The large white tiger leapt into action and caught him with ease on his back in midair. The tiger growled and pawed the ground as it ran across the farm fields, graciously. Kirito settled safely on its back and had a set frown of disappointment.

"Byakko." he addressed, holding on to Kazuto. The tiger, Byakko, perked his ears but didn't answer. Kirito continued. "She asked you, didn't she."

There was no answer. Byakko lowered his ears and picked up the pace. Kirito hugged his brother closely as he felt the familiar sting of betrayal.

"You Goddess-damn agreed with her anyway."

._._.~Back to Kazuto~._._.

He had only awoken just a week ago and he was already getting restless. Kazuto silently slipped on a brown coat he found rather randomly in his room as he wordlessly looked out the window. He didn't know how long he had been asleep, but he just knew he had to get moving. To where? He was clueless. All he could focus on at the moment was the fact that he needed to leave.

He could remember someone holding him dearly and constantly giving him a promise of something. For the strangest reason, it felt like that warmth had long left him. And by the looks of things, it must have left him suddenly. Kazuto shook his head and grabbed his two swords next to his bed. He strapped them on and headed to the window. He didn't realize that the door was open.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked a voice at the doorway. He didn't bother to look over his shoulder as he opened the window. The familiar voice continued. "You're not well ye-"

"Sorry, but this is something I must do. You're not gonna stop me." Without another word, he leapt out the window from the second floor.

"Wait! Damn it! I'm coming with you!"

Kazuto landed on the ground shakily but he caught himself. He turned to see Asuna jump out to window to land behind him. She dusted herself off and smiled. "Sorry, but I can't just watch my friend go off on his own."

He couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face. "Just like old times, huh, Asuna?"

She smirked and placed a hand on her waist. "Just like old times."

Without another word, the pair hurried to the stables and snuck out two horses with ease. Surely someone would've noticed that the horses were missing, but with Kazuto's knack for magic, he easily concealed them. They left the village within half an hour with only their weapons, water, and a bag of food. The moon was their only source of light as they rode into the forest.

The trees seemed to dance in the wind, as if to lead the way. Kazuto veered his horse toward east, not knowing where in the world he was going. Asuna barely said a word as she followed his lead. The wind seemed to have picked up as the trees thinned out to a clearing. Several hundred feet before the pair was a broken down building of some sort. Kazuto slowed his horse to a stop at the entrance. Asuna was at his side and shared a look with him.

"What is this place?" she asked. Her brown eyes scanned the place before her. The brick was old and cracked in several places. Vines had already grown over it and became a home for tens of butterflies, maybe even hundreds. Kazuto shrugged as he dismounted his horse and tied it to a nearby slab of stone. He highly doubted that it would hold his horse, but he didn't have much of a choice.

"Not sure," he began as he approached an arch. He peeked his head inside and noted that the roof was partially caved in. "But something the trees and the winds were leading me here. So, I'm sure there must be a good reason why."

He heard Asuna dismount her horse as he cautiously walked in. The place was overgrown with grass and weeds of hundred varieties. Kazuto suddenly felt at ease the further he ventured. He stopped in front of a beaten, worn, partially opened door and traced a hand over the cracks.

"Hey, Asuna!" he called over his shoulder. "There's a door here!"

Asuna appeared at his side a few seconds later. "This place is really run down. I wonder who lived here before..."

Kazuto shrugged and pushed the door outward. The door swung slowly to the side and revealed a stone room. A circle of some sort was carved into the floor and Kazuto couldn't help but think it was familiar. He took a step in the room and froze, barely believing he didn't notice in the first place.

There, standing in the center of the circle, was a man with a red and white shield.

"Heathcliff."


	4. Dearest Older Brother

Dearest Older Brother

"GET THE HELL BACK HERE!" cried a stressed out teen. He scrambled through the forest to catch up to his little three (nearly four)-year-old brother that escaped him once again. In his right hand was a small tan shirt and his sheathed Elucidator was held in his left. He just finished giving Kazuto his bath at the river and he did not expect his little brother to run off into the forest the moment he took his eyes off him. "KAZUTO!"

The small child ignored his brother and headed straight for the small house in the forest. His black hair was partially dry as it bounced slightly. His skin was still covered in droplets of water but he didn't care. He just wanted to go and play. Kazuto giggled as he spotted a familiar blonde haired teenager.

"Eugeo-nii!" he exclaimed. Eugeo turned his head to his direction and widened his eyes. Kazuto was running toward him with a bright smile on his face. One thing he couldn't help but notice, was the fact that Kazuto only had a pair of pants on.

"Oh, Goddess!" he said and immediately dropped the bundle of chopped wood in his arms. Kazuto didn't slow down as he leapt into Eugeo's expectant arms. The older teen grunted as he stumbled back into the wall of their house. Kazuto was laughing as he looked up with his innocent black eyes.

"Spin me!" he demanded. Eugeo shook his head as he placed the child back down.

"No. Where is your shirt, Kazuto?" he questioned the boy. "More importantly, where's your brother?"

Kazuto only laughed and ran inside the house, not bothering to answer the question. Eugeo sighed as he shook his head once more.

"Eugeo!"

The said boy nearly groaned as he looked up to see Kirito waving a shirt in the air as he ran toward him. Immediately, he pieced everything together in his head. Obviously, Kirito wasn't able to keep his brother in place long enough to get him dressed.

"He's inside." Eugeo said as he held the door open for Kirito. The nineteen-year-old restorer gave him a quick "Sorry, but thanks!" as he ran inside. Eugeo chuckled softly and looked at the fallen logs. "Well, I think I'll-"

"Yui-nii!"

He cut himself off as he heard a door slam shut and a loud thud. Not even a split second later he could hear Kazuto banging on a door calling out with his high-pitched voice.

"Yui-nii! You meanie!"

Eugeo sweatdropped and finally finished his sentence.

"-just stay out here and let Kirito handle this. By the Goddess, I wonder how I even tolerate that little brat..."

._._.~A Few Minutes Earlier~._._.

Yukio heard Kirito's distant yelling and internally sighed. His train of thought crashed into a wall and burned into ashes in his head. Since the day Kirito brought over his little brother nearly four years ago, there wasn't a day where absolutely nothing would happen. At first, he was completely tempted to yell at Kirito for bringing a baby in the forest, but it wasn't in his nature to say anything louder than a subdued voice. Heck, the boys themselves knew next to nothing about raising a child! But, Kirito practically had nowhere to go to hide the child since they all knew that Goddess-damn Authorities would be looking in every town. So, bringing Kazuto to Kirito's foster mother, Lady Ellonie, was completely out of the question.

He later learned, as Kazuto grew, that it wasn't all that bad. The little boy was like a bundle of curiosity and a head-splitting troublemaker at the same time. Kazuto would always bother him when Kirito or Eugeo weren't around. To shut him up, Yukio would pick him up, place him on his lap, and begin working around the child. He found it rather creepy that he actually grew to like the child.

Yukio shook his head to get it out of the clouds and got up from his work desk. He opened to door just in time to see Kazuto run into the living room, shirtless. They both shared a short stare.

"Yui-nii!" Kazuto exclaimed, pronouncing his name all wrong. Kirito had tried (and failed) to get the boy to say his name right. It did embarrass Yukio for the first few weeks to be called a girl's name, but he learned to give up. Kazuto would eventually learn at his own pace.

Yukio's eyes widened when the three-year-old stared to sprint to the workroom. He panicked and slammed the door shut. A loud thump was heard from the other side. Yukio actually felt Kazuto body slam into the door. He scowled and leaned against to door as Kazuto banged against the door with his small fists.

"Yui-nii! You meanie!"

The twenty-year-old bluenette didn't flinch as he locked the door with a latch and sat back down. Even though he loved the little boy, there were times Yukio needed to be alone. Or as alone as he could possibly get at home.

"Yeah, yeah." he muttered as he grabbed a parchment and a wooden (handmade of course) pencil. After all, winter was nearing.

._._._._._.

Kirito nearly laughed as he spotted his little brother banging on Yukio's door. Kazuto had his tiny fists high above his head as he jumped up and down in frustration. The older boy smirked as he saw his chance. Placing Elucidator gently against the wall, he silently crossed the room. Kazuto was completely unaware of his big brother with his eyes scrunched closed.

"Got you!" Kirito exclaimed as he quickly, yet expertly slipped the shirt on the small boy. Kazuto squealed in shock as Kirito picked him up with ease.

"Noo! I want down! Onii-chan!" he demanded. Kirito grinned and hefted him under arm, carrying him to the kitchen. The kitchen, over the years, had to be changed a little bit. All of the knives and anything sharp was placed in a shelf far anyway from Kazuto's reach (Scared the living crap out of all three of them when Kazuto came running into the living room with a slicing knife one day). One extra chair was added for the Restorer's brother (Kazuto used to sit on Kirito's lap during meals and such). At the fire pit of the kitchen was a boiling, steaming pot that Kirito started just before going to the river to give Kazuto his bath.

"Absolutely not. I don't need you running off again." he said as he plopped (not literally) Kazuto on a chair in front of a desk. "You're not leaving this desk until I say so."

The boy pouted and resigned to stay, slouching over the desk. "O~kaaaaay."

Kirito gently patted his brother's head with a grin. "That's my little brother."

For the next two hours, Kirito taught Kazuto the basics any child should know (all three boys forgot that normal kids go to school at five). He taught him how to write his name, read a few things, and all those simple mathematics....Although, there was a pretty weird problem: Kirito, Eugeo, and Yukio never went to school before. The twins had lived in the forest for most of their lives and they barely went to a town. In fact, they taught themselves how to read and write. Kirito, on the other hand, learned things differently. Not just differently, but very differently. To put it bluntly, he was taught the old ways. He knew the oldest of languages (courtesy of Byakko) and could speak, read, and write the ancient language of Aincrad with ease. Of course, he was taught the language people used nowadays, so he didn't have much of a language barrier.

At times, Kirito would teach Kazuto small spells and important things any Restorer would know. Kazuto never really understood, but he came to know that it was better to just learn it anyway.

During those two hours, Yukio and Eugeo barely bothered them. Eugeo just went about his own business and went through their inventory. He laid out leaves to dry and chopped up fire wood. Yukio took the time to make a fur blanket. Winter was coming and since they both had two extra mouths to feed, their work load doubled. Kirito would help out here and there, but then Yukio made it clear that the little child was more important.

"Nee, Onii-chan?" Kazuto asked as he looked up from the parchment in front of him. "Are we done yet? I'm tired of learning."

Kirito sighed and stood up from his crouch next to his brother. He was a bit sore, and he knew that if he continued any further, the boy's interest would be long gone. "Alright-"

"Yes!" Kazuto exclaimed, but his brother raised a finger with a stern look.

"But! You're not allowed to go to the forest. You stay inside. I don't want to hear any complaining." Kirito said. It didn't falter Kazuto's spirits as he leapt out of his chair and went down the hall to their shared room.

"Okay!"

Kirito sighed again and sat down on the floor. "Oh, by the Goddess... he so energetic."

"Well, what do you expect? He's just a kid, Kirito." came a voice from the nearest window. Kirito looked up to see Eugeo looking in. The sandy blonde adult was holding a stalk of parsley in his hand while he was in the middle of tying a string around them to keep them together. "I heard that it's a good thing for kids like him to be energetic."

The restorer allowed a small smile. "Yeah, you're right."

There was a short moment of silence as Eugeo tied a knot.

"Hey, Eugeo?"

"Hm?"

"How long do you think this is going to last?"

The question made Eugeo stop his movements and stare at Kirito. The teen had his knees drawn to his chest and a look of sadness appeared in his usually cheery eyes. Eugeo quietly lowered his hands and regarded Kirito with a concerned stare. He chose his next words carefully. "...a while."

Kirito huffed disbelievingly at his words. "I don't believe you."

Eugeo shrugged his shoulders. "There's always hope, Kirito."

He watched while the Restorer sat there for a moment before Kirito got up and dusted himself off. Kirito turned to look at him. "Yeah. I guess so."

._._.~Back to Kazuto Current Time!~._._.

There was something odd and Kazuto noticed it right off the bat. Heathcliff just stood there with his back facing them. He didn't turn when Kazuto opened the door earlier, and he didn't even acknowledge them when Asuna said his name. He was just...there.

Asuna shared a look with Kazuto before calling out to him once more. "Heathcliff?"

"You two shouldn't be here." He said suddenly. Kazuto stiffened at his words. For a moment, he felt like he should listen to the man and leave, but he knew there was a reason for him to be there.

"I can't leave now after coming this far." Kazuto said as he decided to stroll right in. He barely felt Asuna's hand brush against his sleeve as a warning. He placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, ready for any sudden attack.

"Even so. You should leave. Both of you." Heathcliff said again. He still didn't move.

"No." Kazuto answered simply. Heathcliff suddenly sighed and his broad shoulders fell.

"You are quite the stubborn one." he muttered. The teen easily heard him and shrugged.

"So are you." Kazuto turned to look at Asuna as she hurried over to him, drawing her sword. She gave him a look that easily said, "be ready". Kazuto couldn't help but feel a twinge of relief as he turned back to Heathcliff.

"I suppose, you are looking for answers." Heathcliff suddenly said as he finally turned around. Asuna froze while Kazuto gaped. The Heathcliff before them was completely different. He didn't hold himself high like the day he stormed into their hometown. There was no commanding aura, or strong front, but instead, a dark and hollow-eyed middle-aged man with no hope. What shocked them both was the fact that there was no sign of a sword on or anywhere near him.

"Wha...what happened to you...?" Asuna asked as she lowered her sword. Heathcliff offered an empty smile.

"How about a story?" he asked. The two teens shared a look of surprise and wariness, unsure of what to do.

"...you're not going to try and kill me anymore...?" Kazuto asked hesitantly. The Guild leader shook his head as he unstrapped his shield, letting it fall haphazardly to the ground.

"No. There is no reason to, nor do I desire death to fall upon you." He said with a sorrowful tone. Kazuto took a step back and relaxed slightly. Asuna slowly sheathed her sword with caution, not completely trusting her former leader. She was forced to serve him for nearly seven years and she hated every damned second of it, so there was no telling if she was really thinking of a way to kill the man. Heathcliff continued.

"For thirteen years, many had known me as a leader who hunted for a demon, when, in fact, it was just a child chosen by the Goddess of Life." He paused as he took a good look at Kazuto. A grim smile appeared on his face. "You...you have grown much like your brother. Not only do you look like him, but also your skill with two blades is just as breathtaking as him. I'm sure, if Kirito was still alive, he would be proud of you, Kazuto."

Asuna bit her lip as she looked at Kazuto. She expected him to be surprised, scrambling to ask a decent question, but she was far off. Instead, he bowed his head slightly and closed his eyes with a ghost of a smile. His hands curled into half-hearted fists. What surprised her most were his words.

"...Yes. Yes, he would be." he said softly, as if reminiscing a past only he knew. He rose his head and looked at Heathcliff with a knowing stare. "I have to thank you actually. If you had not sent Asuna to kill me, then I wouldn't have remembered something important. I wouldn't have remembered the times Onii-chan would take the time to teach me things he barely knew. Or the time Yui-nii would shoo me away. Or when Eugeo would force feed me herbs....I wouldn't have remembered Onii-chan at all."

"Kazuto..." Asuna muttered in surprise. The teen kept going.

"And you killed him. You killed Kirito. You murdered him right in front of me." Kazuto said. Heathcliff sighed.

"Heh. Ever since that night, I wanted to kill myself for having his blood on my hands..." he said wearily.

"...Heathcliff, you may have killed my brother, and his blood stains your hands-" Heathcliff flinched here, but Kazuto didn't stop. "-but, did you know that Kirito already forgave you?"

Asuna looked back and forth between the two as a heavy silence fell on them. Her head was at a standstill. Heathcliff before bragged with a sickening smile about how he murdered Kirito, but now...the man before her was just a perfectly calm, non-threatening person who held regret and sorrow with every word. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Was this really the same man who called himself Heathcliff, the Guild Leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath?

"..." Heathcliff turned away, avoiding Kazuto's piercing gaze.

"You know what?" Kazuto asked as he marched right up to Heathcliff, grabbing his arm in a grip so tight it made Kazuto's knuckles turn pasty white. A fire of determination burned behind his dark eyes as he tried to make Heathcliff to look at him. Asuna couldn't help but notice how strange and awfully weird it was to see the huge difference in height between the two. Kazuto barely reached Heathcliff's shoulders.

"I don't give a damn if you won't accept the fact that Kirito forgave you, or about to let you die pitifully over the fact that you killed my brother, but I'm gonna tell you over and over until you do." He said through gritted teeth, his grip slightly shaking. "He forgave you. He Goddess-damn forgave you! He forgave you! Kirito never resented you and there is no way he could. Even if he wanted to!"

He lifted a curled fist and moved to punch the Guild Leader in the face. Heathcliff braced himself and squeezed his eyes shut, but the blow never came. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and for a moment there he thought he saw Kirito giving him a friendly smile, but it was quickly replaced by the slightly younger face of Kazuto.

"I remember that day. I remember you standing over Onii-chan's dead body with a bloody sword." Kazuto muttered as he lowered his head. "...Why would you came back to the same exact place you murdered him?"

His words caused Asuna to look at the floor. She spotted stains of rusty color red in several places on the ground and tiny splatters of dried blood. She let her eyes linger at the horrendous large stain where the other two stood. The grass and weeds that grew through the cracks were unnaturally red. A single blood-red lily glowed eerily in the moonlight near Kazuto's ankle.

"Oh," she gasped as she placed a hand to her mouth, realizing where they were, "Oh, Goddess, no."

Kazuto's voice was barely audible as he continued when Heathcliff didn't answer. "For years, I had been sheltered by Byakko, the Spirit of the West, and my memories were sealed against my will. There was only one thing other thing I never had the chance to tell you."

Asuna blinked when she saw a shadow near her twitched. She slowly placed a hand on her hilt and took a few steps closer to the two, suddenly putting her guard up. Kazuto seemed to have noticed too as he took a step back from Heathcliff.

 _'I have to finish this quickly.'_ He thought to himself. The guild leader rose his head slightly.

"You two should go. The one who wants you dead is here." He said in a calm voice. Kazuto nodded curtly and spun on his heel, completely understanding the urgency despite the lack of it. Asuna was startled when he grabbed her arm and pulled her with him to the open door.

"Come on!"

They both ran across the room and Kazuto allowed Asuna to go before him. He halted at the doorway and turned to Heathcliff still standing there. Giving him the most sincerest smile he could manage, Kazuto spoke with conviction.

"I forgive you, too, Heathcliff!"

Kazuto turned around before he got the chance to see Heathcliff's reaction. The guild leader's eyes widened in shock as the words sank in. For several years, he thought that he would never be forgiven for the harm he had done to Kazuto. Heck, the teen was only a four-year-old child at the time, and yet, he forgave him. He was certain that he had scarred the child, but it seemed like Kazuto was strong; just like the Restorer.

Just like The Black Swordsman.

"...I never asked either of you." He muttered to himself. A huge weight suddenly lifted from his chest, and he felt lighter. He looked up at the sky and imagined that the brightest star was Kirito. Though, he knew that the Restorer wasn't there, but he couldn't help it. The guilt of killing a person as young as him weighed heavily in his mind before, and now...He shook his head and laughed quietly to himself. His body began to slowly fade as he spoke.

"Kirito, even though I have done so much to hurt you, you still forgave me. I wonder how life would've been like..." Heathcliff trailed off and reached upward. He could barely see his own hand.

"...if we were friends."

A gentle breeze blew by, ruffling the red grass and the lily. The flower danced in the wind, twisting and turning, lonely in the empty space.

._._._._._.

"Damn! Our horses are gone!" Kazuto cursed. Asuna rose from her knelt position from the ground with a broken piece of rope. It was perfectly sliced and not a single thread was out of place. She looked at Kazuto.

"Yeah, someone cut them free." she said. Kazuto gritted his teeth and looked around. The moonlight gave the whole area a dark and creepy feel. Several shadows seemed to dance around them. He drew a sword and heard Asuna do the same.

"You better stay close." he said to her, "come on!"

They both took off in any direction away from the ruins in hope to get away safely. But, they knew it was futile. They wouldn't get far without their horses. The shadows followed them closely, nipping at their heels. Kazuto gritted his teeth and asked himself, "What would Onii-chan do in this type of situation?!"

He could feel the shadows leaping out of the ground to catch him, but he would not let it with a slash of his sword. Asuna did the same and dared a glance back. Her eyes widened in shock and fear.

"Kazuto! Behind us!" she cried. Kazuto reached back with a free hand and grabbed her wrist, pulling her close to him as he came to a stop. He turned on his heel and nearly jumped away.

"Don't go flying on me." He muttered near her ear. Asuna couldn't help but give him a look of disbelief as he pointed a sword upwards. Kazuto kept his gaze forward as a white light began to envelope the blade and spoke in an ancient language. _"Goddess of Life, I ask to renew this sword in my hand into a blade to repel darkness."_

Asuna watched in shock as the sword suddenly changed from a plain, standard sword to a sword from faerie tales. The Dark Repulser gleamed beautifully as Kazuto did a downward strike. A blast of light sprung from the floor and traveled across the grassy field. The darkness dispelled the moment the light collided with it. A shockwave of the aftereffects forced the two off their feet several yards away. Asuna let out a short cry of surprise as she tumbled to the ground next to Kazuto.

Kazuto seemed unfazed as he stood up in a flash, drawing his second sword. But as he drew it, a dazzling sight of dark light swept over the sword the moment it slipped out of its sheath. Kazuto didn't spare a glance at his new, beautifully crafted, black sword as he brandished it with confidence. Elucidator gleamed in the moonlight, as if it was excited. Asuna couldn't help but look up at the two swords.

Elucidator, the blade forged by the very fires of a phoenix, and Dark Repulser, the sword that was said to dispel even the blackest of curses. The pair of swords many had believed to be a mere tale. It was only until ten years ago that those swords were forgotten. There were many rumors about it, but for it to end up in the hands of the little brother of a Restorer cleared up practically everything. Asuna gaped.

"You...you took after him..." she muttered. Kazuto gracefully slipped into a fighting stance. He placed his right foot back and leaned slightly forward. He held Dark Repulser in his right hand and gripped it horizontally. He raised his right arm slightly above his head and held Elucidator with seriousness.

"Come out, you stupid thing!" Kazuto snapped with a hardened stare. Before them, a single mass of twirling shadows floated in the air. It paused for a moment, before shaping into a form of a four legged creature. It looked as if the creature stepped out of a pit of burning purple-black fire, almost like a burning fox. Its pearly red eyes shined with amusement as it grinned mischievously and stared directly at Kazuto.

 **"You're sharper than you seem, Child of Byakko."** the beast snarled. Kazuto had to force himself not to lose his stance as he felt a shiver rundown his back. He glared at the beast.

"What the hell are you?" he demanded. Though his voice sounded firm and sure, he was terrified. Everything in his whole body was telling him to run, scream, and never look back. Heck, even his newly acquired swords were telling him to be cautious with warning glows. But, a tiny fragment of him knew that if he went with his gut, then he would be missing a huge piece to one big fat puzzle.

 **"Isn't it obvious? I am a demon. A monster you humans fear."** came the answer with a haunting laugh. Asuna gulped her crawling fear and slowly got up, keeping a hand on her sword by her side. Though she could tell she was shaking in her boots, she was prepared to fight at any given moment.

"Why are you here?!" she yelled, her hand gripping her sword tightly. Kazuto spared her a glance that clearly told her to calm down, but it didn't quite help with the terror behind his warning. They were both scared, and there was no way of denying it. The haunting laughter grew slightly, making their stress level rise just a bit more.

 **"Just here to have a little talk with the Child of a fellow Demon."** The demon said quite casually. He grinned even further. **"A quick and casual one, if you will."**

"Byakko is nothing like you, damn thing." Kazuto snapped. The demon shrugged his shoulders.

 **"True. In fact, he's more of a guardian than a demon like myself. Taking in not only one, but two human children was really pushing his boundaries as Guardian Spirits."** he said. Kazuto narrowed his eyes and ignored his fear.

"What do you want with me, Demon?" he asked with a dangerous note in his tone. The demon raised an eyebrow in amusement.

**"I came to tell you a story, one you would want to hear, Kazuto."**

Kazuto felt uneasy. "I'm starting to doubt that."

**"Oh? I'm sure you'd like it, Child of Byakko."**

Asuna shared an unbelieving look with Kazuto. Before they knew it, the Demon already launching into a story. A story that came like a bone-crushing grip of a Reaper.

._._._._._.

"Damn it! Get the hell out of him already!" Kirito snapped as he swung his swords horizontally. Several of his cuts burned him as fabric touched his skin. He had been at this for fifteen minutes, and he was starting to feel the start of his limit. It all started with just a normal morning with Kazuto doing his normal antics of bothering everyone, until everything took a turn for the worst. A few hours after Yukio left to hunt, and Eugeo went to the closest town, someone tried to burn the two brothers alive in the house. Although it was stupid since Kirito could easily get out with his brother. But he knew. He knew it was a Goddess-damn ploy to get them out of the house. After four years of hiding, they were finally found.

Kirito did his best to hide Kazuto in the forest, telling a sweet, believable promise that he will be back. Of course, Kirito would like to believe that it was a genuine promise, but then he would be lying to himself.

Heathcliff grinned like a maniac as he leapt back, his gleaming yellow eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Why would you go through such lengths to save a soul beyond saving?" he asked mockingly, rushing in for another attack. Kirito barely had the chance to answer as he crossed his swords to block the incoming blades. He slid back about a foot before using his might to shove his much bigger opponent back. Without a moment of hesitation, he retaliated with an attack of his own. His dual swords glowed a healthy shade of green with the last remaining magic he had.

His body moved fluently with him as he swung Elucidator across Heathcliff's chest, creating a large gap in the armor. A jab with Dark Repulser followed shortly after, missing the man as he side-stepped. Kirito used his jabbing force to bring Elucidator for an upward strike. He felt his feet leave the ground as he shot in the air for a good three feet, but he wasn't done. He twisted his body to the left, turning in a circle in midair and kicked out with his left leg. He yelled as his leg connected with Heathcliff's face and threw the older man back. He threw his swords up in seemingly pointless directions and used his free hands to touch the ground. His eyes narrowed as he pushed himself off the ground to gain momentum. He landed squarely on his feet and reached a hand toward Elucidator, knowing that it would fall faster because of its air resistance. Shifting his weight on his left foot, he pushed off the ground and sped toward the staggering Heathcliff with a battle cry. "Hyaaaah!"

Heathcliff blocked with his shield as Kirito slashed at him. The Restorer threw his left hand back, catching Dark Repulser in a fluid motion and swung at the edge of the shield. The shield flew off and landed somewhere far from them. By the look on his face, Heathcliff didn't even seem to mind as he pulled back his sword arm. "Got you."

Kirito's eyes widened in shock as Heathcliff's "Holy" Sword was coming fast to his side. He didn't have time to pull back as the sword sliced his side painfully, creating a new wound right above his scar. Kirito gave a strangled cry as he was forced to the ground. He could feel all of the injures doubling back in force from his fall. Searing pain burst from his legs as he felt Heathcliff pin them down with something. He couldn't resist the urge to scream.

He couldn't take it any longer.

"So this is what's become of the Restorer?" Heathcliff asked mockingly. Kirito glared at him through narrowed eyes with defiance.

"Go to hell!" he cursed. He tried to lift Elucidator, but Heathcliff was quick to stomp his hard leather boot down. A loud crack was audibly heard and Kirito cursed violently through clenched teeth. Heathcliff's laughter echoed in his ears as his eyes scrunched closed against the burning pain.

"I must say, you have lasted much longer than the last Restorer a hundred years ago. In fact, you're features are similar to her." he said in amusement. He reached down and held a lock of Kirito's hair, lightly caressing it. "Her black hair was as smooth as silk, but much longer than yours, and dark eyes that burned with passion to live. She was fun, and just as determined as you, but she does not share the same fierceness with you. Nearly, but not enough."

Kirito gritted his teeth, feeling disgusted. "Why the hell would you tell me this?"

The hand did not leave. "Simple. You are much different than the others. Instead of dying pitifully, why not die peacefully like her?"

A wet, sickening cough burned Kirito's throat as he opened his eyes to glare heatedly at the Demon before him. "I'd rath-er di-e f-or o-thers th-an f-or mys-elf."

Heathcliff smiled. "Last chance~!"

"Never." Kirito said as firmly as he possibly could. He stared defiantly at him. Heathcliff's face twisted into a horrendous expression that could only show anger. Kirito, for a moment, felt his heart jump to his throat.

"Then I curse you!" Heathcliff suddenly exclaimed. "Your time will never move again! Your time will be frozen! Not a second more, not a second less! To the child you hold dear will pay the price of your mere existence in the worlds! For the rest of eternity, you will suffer the chains of the Cardinal!"

He could barely move anymore. His hands refused to grasp his swords. His legs were pinned down and his numerous cut burned him. His magic was completely gone; not an ounce left. The world even seemed to fade in and out. Kirito looked up at the sky and grinned forcefully, blood staining his teeth. A sword was raised against him diagonally once more and all he could see was the sky turning into twilight and a pair of burning red eyes intent to kill him. He thought about the person trapped inside their own body. with a slow blink, he looked up at the sky. For some odd reason, there was a single star shining brightly. He wanted to reach for it, but he couldn't. It reminded him of his purpose of living. He remembered his little brother and all those who took the time to stop and scold him, watch him, care for him, and even love him like a family member. More importantly, the Promise of Another Day.

"And this curse will be the end of you, Demon." he said, smiling; forgiveness clear on his face, all for the man trapped inside that body. The sword came down.

._._._._._.

Asuna stared at demon before them with wide eyes. "No...that can't be true. You must be lying."

Kazuto gripped the side of his arms as he shook his head in denial. "You were the one who killed Onii-chan?! N-no! It was Heathcliff! Unless you..." Realization dawned on him. "You Goddess-damned monster!"

The demon grinned as its form twisted in satisfaction. **"Goddess-damned? Hahaha, I am not damned by the Goddess Etra. I am treasured by the Goddess Amire, her favorite Demon."**

Demon. A common word to call evil beings. A word that was associated with the Goddess of Death, Amire. The very mention of Amire sent shivers down both teens. Though, Amire was a Goddess, no one would dare to mention her much, due to her title. As her title mentioned, she ruled over death. She takes anything bright and twists it into an unrecognizable mess.

Asuna's mind reeled in the information and quickly placed the pieces together. The Heathcliff she knew was all just a fake. A demon (she didn't know from where or what the demon was) had possessed him and used him to kill Kirito, Kazuto's brother. She could understand why a demon would. Any Restorer was a threat to Amire. With the power to renew, Amire could not lay a hand on the land itself.

But then, why go through such lengths just to kill him?

Kazuto's knuckles were white with his bone crushing grip. Anger and grief overruled his common-sense as he suddenly charged at the Demon. He struck with Elucidator and followed up with Dark Repulser. The demon, however, just slipped past the blades and kept a safe distance of Kazuto, grinning wildly.

"You a coward?! Damn Demon! I'll kill you!" Kazuto swore, slashing Elucidator before him. The demon merely laughed and disappeared, only to reappear behind Asuna. The swordswoman twirled on her heel and drew her sword in a flash, blocking an incoming attack of claws. She moved to lash an attack, but the demon vanished again.

Kazuto felt the demon behind him before it reappeared. Acting on a whim, he flipped one of his swords to hold it reversely and struck the demon as he turned. He felt the tip of Elucidator graze the Demon, but he knew it wasn't much. He aimed for the demon's head with the Dark Repulser as he swung his sword upward. Unfortunately for him, the demon dug its claws into the ground and leapt forward, crashing into Kazuto to the ground and pinning his left arm down with a harsh bite.

"Gah!"

"Kazuto!"

Kazuto cringed at the searing pain in his arm and the first thought that popped in his head was, _"I'm screwed."_ Although, he wasn't really screwed. Thinking quickly, he released his grip on Elucidator and spat out the first spell at the tip of his tongue. _"Fire, become my might and IGNITE!"_

He shoved his right hand into the Demon just as a burst of fire exploded from his palm. He felt the fangs of the demon slip away as it snapped its jaw open with a screech of pain. Kazuto didn't have the time to sigh in relief as he reached for Elucidator and stabbed at the Demon. He thanked the Goddess Etra when he heard a squelch of his sword cutting skin. Though it was odd for a shadow demon to be bleeding, it bled red purple mist. Kazuto couldn't help but gag on reflex as he got back up and kicked the demon as hard as he could. The demon flew into the air and landed a good twenty feet away.

Asuna rushed to his side and tensed as she looked at the injured demon. "Is it dead?"

Kazuto shook his head and sheathed Dark Repulser at his back, cringing at the pain that laced his arm. Blood flowed freely from the pierced skin. Swallowing, Kazuto grabbed Asuna's arm. "W-we should go. I can't beat that damn thing with my current strength."

 **"Hahaha, so you know when to stop. Wise choice, Child."** the demon said as he rose from the ground and sat on its hunches with its damnable grin. Its injuries healed quickly. **"Wiser than your brother."**

"Shut up!" Kazuto snapped, glaring wholeheartedly. Asuna bit her lip as she placed a hand to ease her friend's temper. The Demon lowered its head and flicked its tail in amusement.

 **"But the temper stays the same..."** he trailed off and rose its head as if it was high and might. **"Kazuto, the child Kirito held dear, I do hope that your memory will retain this event. So, mark my words, you will pay the price of your brother's existence."**

Kazuto had a look of complete understanding as the demon disappeared in a blink of an eye, leaving an echoing harsh laugh. Asuna, on the other hand, placed the final piece to the story. Sorrow and grief crossed her face as she quickly grabbed Kazuto's shoulder and forced him to face her.

Asuna felt a piece of her die as Kazuto looked at her with a confused expression. The sky above began to lighten up, and the moon and stars began to fade. She stood there hoping and praying to the Goddess Etra as the sun reached the horizon.

"...Kazuto?"

._._._._._.

An act. He knew he had to do it. He had to put up an act. Play the stupid card. Again. Make it believable. He knew the meaning of the Demon's last words, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Everything was planned before he could say a thing. He played right into that demon's hand. He felt his best friend grab his arm and force him to turn around. There was no time to think, just act.

_**Act!** _

Without a miss of a beat, he plastered a look of confusion on his face. He nearly faltered when he saw the grief and sadness in Asuna's eyes. For a moment, he wanted to drop the act and just hug her, but then it would ruin everything.

_**Just keep acting.** _

He hid his wince as he heard Asuna call his name with a scared and timid voice.

"...Kazuto?"

It hurt. It hurt so much, but there was no other choice. Play the idiot and no one else will die. He blinked his eyes and tilted his head with feigned sweet innocence laced with wonder. "Where are we?"

_**Don't cry. Don't scream. Don't break.** _

Asuna's eyes gleamed with tears as she forced herself to smile. "We were out on an early morning stroll. But, you got attacked by a devil's hound and got injured again."

Kazuto mentally applauded her.

_**Since when could she lie so well?** _

He looked down at his arm in fake surprise and managed a gasp of horror. "By the Goddess!"

Asuna laughed as if she was amused. "Ahahaha, it's pretty bad. We should go back home."

Kazuto gave her a smile through the wincing pain in his arm. "This reminds me of the old days."

_**If only we could go back to those days...** _

"Yeah, it certainly does." she said with a smile he knew wasn't real. Kazuto caught a glimpse at Elucidator still in his hand and held back a frown with a wince.

"Oh, no." he said as he lifted Elucidator toward the rising sun. "Did I steal this from somewhere?"

_**Don't show it.** _

His heart twisted in regret as Asuna shook her head and smiled sadly. "No, you earned it."

_**Act.** _

"Ahahaha, this day is just getting stranger and stranger." Kazuto said, his voice a little forced. A believable grin appeared on his face.

_**Don't Goddess-damn break.** _

._._._._._.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

_The endless sounds of the second hand moving echoed off of the huge, spacious room. A dreary light washed the room in gray. There, in the center of the room, was a black haired teen lying on his side, using an arm as a pillow. His black over coat was flapped open around his waist, giving him a bit of a ruffled look. His pale arms were covered by the long sleeves of his coat, and his hands were loosely clutched. For a long while, he continued to sleep, partially curled into a ball. He looked as if he was dead. The only indication that he was still alive, was the faint movement in his chest and barely audible breathing._

_A faint set of pattering feet echoed against the walls, mixing with the loud, ticks and tocks. If he noticed, then the teen didn't move or even twitch at the new sound. A little girl with soft, rose colored hair and upset lavender eyes approached the teen with a sense of urgency. Her pale blue summer dress fluttered gently as she knelt down next to the teen. She had a set frown in her face as she reached to touch him, but stopped herself short. She hesitated for a moment._

_Did she even have a right to touch him? She never intended, wanted a human in her tower. But, then again, curses were strong. She had absolutely no power over them. A small tear gathered at the edge of her eye as she looked down at the teen. He looked so peaceful, that she didn't want to bother him. She looked at the floor and curled her delicate hands into fists. Other than the shadows of the clock face, she could see the dark shadows of chains as clear as day. They were all taut and twisted in someway. Each and every chain had at least one side connected to the teen. The girl felt a twinge of fury as she closed her eyes, hating the teen's curse._

_"Kirito, forgive me." she began as she turned her head away, unable to truly face him. "I cannot do anything to help you, nor do I deserve to to even be this close to you. These chains of mine have transferred to you against my will. But, do not fear." She finally opened her eyes and looked at the teen in front of her. With a sad smile, she reached down and brushed a lock of silky black hair. "I, Cardinal, swear to protect you. I will cherish you no matter how long this curse will take. I will never let you go."_

_The teen never stirred._


	5. The Two Swordsmasters

The Two Swordsmasters

._._.~Five Years After Asuna's Return Home~._._.

The trees ruffled slightly as a teal haired young man slowly made his way to an old, burned home in the middle of the forest. His skin was lightly tanned and his arms were a bit muscular compared to a decade ago. Calloused hands were loose as he gripped a bow with an arrow already stringed. His arms were covered with bracers and wore a pair of slightly worn traveling boots. He wore an open black leather vest with an off-white ranch shirt underneath and dark brown pants. A small black clip secured a small bit of his bangs out of his eyes. His cerulean eyes were sharper than they were fifteen years ago as he observed the area around him. The forest was no longer its usual lush, vibrant self, but rather, a dull, dreary place. It made him wonder if it was really worth it coming back here. He sighed and said a single word with his mature high tenor voice. "Dead."

"Ahahaha...as much as I hate to admit it...." began a voice similar to his own behind him. The young man turned around to see his dirty blonde, twin brother scratching the back of his head with a disappointed look. His build was still slightly bigger than his brother and his height was just a centimeter taller. A sheathed silver sword was attached to his belt at his left side with a hand holding the handle. He wore brown leather fingerless gloves with two yellow gold feathers attached to the wrist and an off-white ranch shirt with his brother. Instead of a black vest, he wore a dark leather brown version. His pants were the same as his brother's. Apparently, they didn't have much to actually wear, but it worked one way or another. "It really is dead. I wonder if this has anything to do with **him**."

"...Maybe..." came his brother's answer. The both shared a grim look before continuing into the forest. They walked in silence, neither knowing what to say. After several long years, they had finally returned home. They never intended to leave in the first place, but at the time they were given no choice in the matter.

"It's been fifteen years...Yukio, do you think that pesky brat will remember us?" the older twin asked. The teal haired one, Yukio, shrugged as he stepped over a thick root.

"Eugeo, he was only four. I kind of doubt that he would." he said. Eugeo hummed in understanding. Over the past ten years, Yukio had gradually gone from speaking in short, one word answers to...a normal person...ish. Eugeo was overjoyed by the fact that he could finally hear his brother's voice more often than not.

"Maybe if we call you 'Yui-nii', then he would." Eugeo chuckled. Yukio sent him a glare.

"Shut up." he snapped. Eugeo just laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Ahahaha, if you say so~!" he sing-song voice. The younger twin glowered at him and decided to ignore him. It really made him wonder just how in the world did he manage to last this long with his annoying brother? Were the older ones usually this annoying?!

"S-setting that aside," Yukio said, changing the subject. "We should find that old woman who took care of Kirito a long time ago."

"You think she's still alive? I mean, it has been fifteen years..." Eugeo stressed, frowning a bit. The younger twin shrugged his shoulders.

"It's always worth a shot." he said. Eugeo stared at him for a moment to mull over the thought, before answering.

"Alright, Yu, let's go." He agreed.

"Now, let's just hope she isn't dead yet."

"...optimistic, aren't we...?"

._._._._._.

Kazuto cursed silently as he shot through the village. He just finished his duties at the farm nearby and he really needed to go back home. The animals on the farm were a bit of a handful, chickens somehow getting out of their pens, and causing mayhem for the cows and goats. He barely got five buckets filled with milk because of the mishap, and now, he was seriously late. He was a whole hour late.

Over the course of five years, he had grown up. He was taller than Asuna by a good three inches. All of the years old wounds have healed completely, leaving nothing but scars marring his body. He didn't mind it though. It served as a constant reminder of what he had gone through, of all the things he had learned. It was his only anchor to his brother.

His skills with Elucidator and Dark Repulsor had adapted a style that was just as good as his brother's. He had no teacher, other than Lady Ellonie and the swords themselves. As odd as it sounded, it was the swords that truly taught him how to properly wield them. He also learned that they had a personality. Elucidator was kind and patient yet stern. The Dark Repulsor was impulsive and blunt, but merciful...ish.

"Ah! Good afternoon, Kazuto, just the person I wanted to see." Lady Ellonie greeted, slightly shocked to see him. Kazuto spared her a glance as he ran up the stairs.

"Sorry, mother! I'm late to meet Asuna and the others for the Hunt!" he called over his shoulder. Lady Ellonie blinked in surprise as she heard a bunch of racket upstairs. She winced when a crash...then something like a body falling somewhere and a cat screeching.

"Meeeoooow!"

She looked at the stairs as Kazuto's voice called out. "I'm okay!"

_*Crash*_

"I'm still okay!"

Lady Ellonie sighed and returned her attention back to the parchment in front of her. "...Young people."

A full minute didn't even pass when Kazuto leapt down the whole height of the stairs in one go. She froze when she gave herself a second to take in her "son's" appearance. Kazuto had a black coat that greatly resembled the Restorer's old one. Elucidator and Dark Repulsor where strapped securely on his back. When he turned his head, an image of Kirito making the exact same action flashed through her head. Lady Ellonie felt her heart twist. For that moment, she wanted to take back what was taken from her, but she knew that she couldn't. Kirito was dead. Kazuto was just his little brother.

The teen paused at the door and gave Lady Ellonie a quick wave with his brown gloved hand.

"I'll be back before sunset, Mother!" he said as he opened the door. Lady Ellonie couldn't give a reply as he shot out the door, scolding himself about how late he was. She hid a flinch as the door slammed shut behind him. She blinked her eyes and felt her breath catch in her throat. There, was an image of Kirito standing in front of the doorway with a small smile on his face. He placed a hand on his hip and shifted his weight on one leg. She could hear his smooth, yet childish voice clearly in the room.

_"Ahaha, don't you worry about a thing, Mother. It will only be a short while."_

She bit the back of her bottom lip and turned away, forcing the image out of her head.

"Kazuto will come back."

._._._._._.

"Yooouuuu'reee LATE!" Lisbeth cried as she stomped her foot and jabbed a finger in Kazuto's face. She was furious. He said he wanted to join them for the hunting party and promised to show up on time, but he didn't. In fact, he was over an hour late! "I told you to be here at sun high! What took you so long?!"

Kazuto held his hands up, palms facing in defense. He took a few steps back. "The chickens escaped!"

"What?" Lisbeth question with a look of disbelief. "You expect me to believe that?!"

"Well—it's the truth! Chickens are hard to catch..." Kazuto said. Asuna laughed a little behind Lisbeth with a hand covering her mouth.

"Wait a minute," she began as she stood next to Lisbeth with a hand on her hip. "You mean, the reason you were late was because you let the chickens escape?"

A tall dark skinned man barked a laugh behind them while a red haired man grinned cheekily.

"You? Chasing chickens? Now that would be a sight to see!" said the red haired man. Kazuto grinned.

"Klein, seeing you running around like a headless chicken would be a sight to see." He said cheekily. Asuna shook her head while Lisbeth still fumed.

"Well, is everyone ready to go? We can still make it to the northern forest and back before sunset if we leave now. Right, Agil?" Asuna asked with a smile on her face. The dark skinned man nodded in agreement.

"And get some game enough to feed the whole village for a few days." he said. Kazuto nodded in agreement and everyone instantly gathered in a circle. He held out a fist and made sure to look at everyone (although, he avoided Lisbeth's eyes).

"Alright, everyone. Agil, Asuna, Lisbeth and Klein will go and hunt. I'll take care of the horse that'll help us bring back the game." He said. Klein frowned.

"Wait, you haven't hunted for a while, Kazuto," he said, "You should go hunt and one of us will watch the horse."

Kazuto gave him a look. "I did make you guys wait for an hour."

"I'll do it," Asuna said as she raised her hand.

"But—" Kazuto began, but Lisbeth cut him off.

"Oh, shut up. It's true and you know it, Kazuto. Besides, can't let the next leader epically fail at hunting." she said with narrowed eyes. "Etra knows how much you suck at it."

"I do not suck at it! I have been keeping up with my training!" Kazuto said, his fist faltering. Asuna laughed and held out her fist with Kazuto.

"So, do chickens count as training?"

Kazuto's face flushed in embarrassment. "S-shut up!"

"Looks like your ego took a hit there, Kazuto." Klein said as he, too, stuck his fist out. Kazuto sent a glare in his direction.

"Not helping."

Agil held his fist and smiled. "So, everyone's fine with the plan? Asuna's on watch duty and the rest of us hunt?"

Lisbeth was the last to join her fist with the others with a smirk. "You guys better not slack off today. Especially you, Kazuto."

Kazuto grinned. "Who said I would? To the Northern Forest Grounds!"

A chorus of agreements rang as everyone threw their fists up. "Yeah!"

._._._._._.

There was barely a sound from Kazuto's boots as he slowly walked through the dense forest. He had a dagger held loosely in his hand, ready to be thrown at a moment's notice. Kazuto had his knees bent and his dominant hand near his waist. Even though he hadn't been on a hunting trip for a few weeks, his movements were precise and gracious.

_*Snap!*_

He paused in mid-step and closed his eyes, listening carefully for any other sounds. Just faintly, he could hear a medium sized animal (or monster) nibble on a leaf nearby. Kazuto didn't dare to hesitate as he quickly threw the dagger with ease in a blink of an eye. The poor rabbit never saw it coming as the dagger buried itself in its plump body. Kazuto lightly sighed in relief and retrieved his first catch.

"...Well...this is gonna make Lisbeth run for her money." Kazuto said as he pulled out his dagger from the dead rabbit. The white fur was stained with its blood and he couldn't help but feel sorry for it. So, he placed a hand over the wound and closed his eyes, muttering a prayer to Etra. Once he was finished, he tied the feet together and wrapped the abnormally large rabbit in a cloth and stuck it in a bag he had attached to his side.

He continued deeper in the forest and caught about six more rabbits in a few hours. His load gotten heavier and he decided that it was enough. He grinned. "Looks like I still got it."

_*Crack!*_

As soon as he heard that crack, Kazuto spun on his heel and threw his bloodied dagger in a flash. He watched with narrow eyes as the dagger flew past four or five trees before pinning itself on a tree trunk several feet away.

"Holy—Ow! By the Goddess! Freaking—ugh...The boar ran away!" cursed a voice. Kazuto blinked when he took a good look at what was ahead of him. There, wiping a trail of blood away from a scratch near his chin, was a grown man with teal hair and sharp cerulean eyes. A bow was gripped tightly in his hands. Kazuto could tell that the bow was a well-crafted and well-used. The bowstring was broken though. Kazuto was quick to piece everything together.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break the string! I thought you were something else..." Kazuto apologized as he rushed over to the injured man. A blond haired man was standing next to the man with a happy-go-lucky smile on his face. Kazuto was shocked to see how much the two resembled each other. If anything, he just knew they had to be twins.

"Ahaha, no that's my fault, I stepped on a branch while Yukio was aiming for our lunch." said the blond haired man as he scratched the back of his head. Kazuto immediately turned to the teal haired man with an apologetic frown.

"I'm really sorry! I should've looked first." Kazuto said with a bow of his head. The teal haired man just stared at him with wide eyes when Kazuto lifted his head. The blond haired man grinned.

"Oh hey! Look what we found!" he said. Kazuto gave him a confused look.

"E-excuse me?" he asked. The teal haired man dropped his bow and grabbed Kazuto by the shoulders.

"Kirito...?"

The name suddenly felt like a slap in the face to Kazuto, but he was quick to recover. He placed a hand on the man's hand and shook his head. "No, I'm not him. Onii-chan's been long gone. I'm Kazuto."

The teal haired man blinked once and released his shoulders. "R-right. Sorry."

Kazuto watched him pick up the broken bow and couldn't help the feeling of nostalgia. He just knew he met them before, but he just couldn't remember where. So, to save all the worry, he asked directly. "I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

The blond man smiled sadly and placed a hand on his hip. "Sorry, we should've introduced ourselves first. I'm Eugeo."

The teal haired man didn't look at him as he removed the broken string. "I'm—"

"Yui-nii!" Kazuto said suddenly. When he saw how the teal haired man held the bow, he remembered that there was someone extremely quiet who held the bow the same exact way. The blonde man burst out laughing hysterically, clutching his stomach. The man, Yui-nii, faltered horribly at the mention of the name. With a twitching smile, he verified it.

"...Yes. I am. Although, my name is **not** Yui-nii." he said through gritted teeth. "I'm Yukio. Yu-ki-o, damnit!"

"Yugioh?"

"No! Yu _ **ki**_ o!"

Kazuto felt his jaw drop. "...You mean..."

Eugeo laughed and patted Kazuto's head. "Yup! When you were small, you couldn't pronounce the 'k' and the 'o' in his name. Boy, you should've seen the look on his face when you first called him that. It was priceless!"

Yukio glared at his brother. "Shut up, Eugeo."

"So, then, you both are really the same Eugeo-nii and Yui—" (Yukio glared at him here) "—I mean, Yukio-nii that I knew back then?"

Yukio confirmed with his arms crossed. "Damn right we are."

._._.~A Few Hours Later~._._.

"...A-ano... Kazuto..." Asuna stammered as she stared at the said teen. Agil uncrossed his arms.

"Don't tell me you caught them while hunting." he said as he pointed at the two men standing behind Kazuto.

"Ahahaha...I kinda did." Kazuto said as he scratched the back of his head. Yukio scowled.

"He broke my bowstring." he deadpanned.

"With a well-aimed dagger." Eugeo said with a smile. Everyone gave him a questioning look.

"'Well-aimed dagger'?" Klein asked as he turned his attention to Kazuto.

"It was unintentional, I swear!" Kazuto said, quickly defending himself.

"Who are you people?" Lisbeth asked them. Eugeo gestured to himself.

"I'm Eugeo, and this—" he patted Yukio's shoulder, "—is Yui—nurk!"

Yukio elbowed his brother in the ribs with gritted teeth. "It's Yukio, Damnit!"

"Yugioh...?" Asuna and Klein asked in unison.

"It's Yu- _ **KI**_ -o!" the teal haired man threw his hands in the air with an aggravated groan. "What is wrong with you people!?"

Kazuto laughed quietly and muttered to himself; "I said the same exact thing earlier..."

"Sorry, sorry," Asuna apologized. "I was just making sure I heard that right."

"A-anyway! How was hunting?" Kazuto asked the others.

"Pretty good. I got something decent for a family or two." Klein said with a grin. Agil placed a hand on his hip.

"I ran into monsters, but they were eating poisoned mushrooms beforehand. It felt like I cheated though." He said. He gestured to a brown wolf. "That one attacked me out of nowhere. No sure if it's safe to eat."

"We'll find out later." Asuna assured.

"I got a boar big enough to feed three families! Can you beat that, Kazuto—Eh?!" Lisbeth felt her jaw drop when she noticed Kazuto's hand. He carried at least three rabbits of different colors and a rope tied to a dead deer's neck. That deer was partially held up by Yukio and Eugeo. Of course, Kazuto was tilting his head innocently.

"Huh? Beat what, Lisbeth?" he asked her. She pointed at the white ragout rabbit in his hand.

"Th-that's-that's—!" she began. Everyone's eyes widened when they actually took a look at the rabbit.

"A Ragout rabbit?!" they exclaimed. Yukio humphed and turned away while Eugeo laughed at them.

"Um, yeah. I guess I just got lucky." Kazuto said with a simple shrug of his shoulders. Yukio watched as everyone began to tell Kazuto that it wasn't something to just brush off and such. He quirked a small, barely noticeable smile.

"If he was still here, then he would be proud." Eugeo said softly so only Yukio could hear. The teal-haired man gave his brother a side glance. They stared at each other for a second before Yukio looked away, closing his eyes. In his mind's eye, he remembered one of the very last conversations he had with Kirito.

_"When he grows up strong and healthy, I'll be very happy. Think you can do that for me, Yukio?"_

Yukio opened his eyes and watched as the others began to load their game onto the horse cart. He took a good look at Kazuto and took note of his actions. Sighing, he shook his head and looked past the tree tops to the sky.

"Sorry, I couldn't keep our promise." he muttered. Eugeo patted his shoulder.

"Let's go help them, Yu." he said as he moved to help them. Yukio nodded and followed a step after.

"Yeah."

._._._._._.

To say that Lady Ellonie was happy would be the wrong thing to say. She was beyond speechless when not only did Kazuto and his hunting group brought back enough game to feed the whole village for a week, but also brought back two people she never thought she would ever see again. At the current moment, she was sitting in her living room with the twins sitting across from her. Eugeo had his normal, polite smile on his face while Yukio had his usual observing stare.

She immediately gave Kazuto and the others a job to occupy themselves for the evening. After all, she didn't want Kazuto to hear any of this.

"By the Goddess," Lady Ellonie began as she placed her hands in her lap. "After all these years, I thought both of you were dead."

Eugeo shrugged. "Well, our house was burned down—"

"—and our lives were wrecked." Yukio finished nonchalantly.

"Byakko told us that he would take care of Kazuto until he found you." Eugeo said. "We knew that everything would be fine since you practically took care of every child that came your way."

"Why didn't you take Kazuto?" Lady Ellonie asked. Yukio frowned.

"We simply couldn't. Kazuto is bounded to the very land of his country. Even if we wanted to, we would've killed him." he said. "I never wanted to leave without him, but...our duty..."

"...is to...what were we supposed to do again?" Eugeo asked. Yukio's expression quickly darkened.

_*SMACK*_

"Idiot." Yukio snapped.

"Well, whatever that is, you guys certainly sucked at it pretty bad." Lady Ellonie bluntly said.

"That is our duty as Wardens." Eugeo said with a shrug.

"You don't even know what our duty is!" Yukio exclaimed. He huffed and crossed his arms, focusing on Lady Ellonie. "Our duty is to protect the seal to the Realm of Dreams. Before Kirito...died, the other Warden that protected the seal was murdered."

Lady Ellonie sat up straighter in surprise. She never knew that one of the Wardens were gone. "I...see. That explains it then. You were both whisked away before it all happened."

"No." Eugeo admitted, shaking his head. "We were there when our house went up in flames. I tried to save them, but that's when we were taken forcibly."

Yukio averted his eyes to look out the window. Just outside, he could see man of the villagers dancing around a bon fire they lit in the plaza. Kazuto was smiling brightly as he danced with Asuna, spinning her around and strutting in step to an up-beat, joyful song.

"Tell me, what has happened while we were gone." Eugeo's voice came. Lady Ellonie smiled sadly.

"Millions. Byakko kept Kazuto for a few years before handing him over to me. He sealed off Kazuto's memories of his brother to prevent him from doing anything reckless when he got older, but...five years ago, Kazuto was nearly killed."

Yukio tore his gaze away from the window with wide eyes. "What? Why?!"

She frowned. "Heathcliff took one of our own and used her against us to murder him. He tried to kill him for being the Restorer's brother." She raised a hand to stop the twins from interrupting her. "Though, his plans back fired. Because of the fact he was injured severely, he remembered about Kirito. According to Asuna, they encountered the demon that possessed Heathcliff. The demon said that it was a servant of Goddess Amire."

"By the Goddess, Amire?" Eugeo asked, a tone of seriousness clear in his voice. "Are you positive?"

"Yes." Lady Ellonie confirmed. "The demon even claimed that he cursed Kirito before he died."

"Cursed?" Yukio asked. It sounded more like a statement than a question. He curled his hands into fists. "Do recall what the demon said?"

"Well...I wasn't there, but I can tell you what Asuna informed me." Lady Ellonie admitted. Yukio nodded for her to continue. "The demon said, 'Your time will never move again. Your time will be frozen. Not a second more, not a second less. To the child you hold dear will pay the price of your mere existence in the worlds. For the rest of eternity, you will suffer the chains of the Cardinal.'"

Yukio blinked rapidly, hardly believing what he heard. Eugeo licked his suddenly dry lips. "A-are you sure those were his words?"

She nodded firmly. "I am certain of it."

"Oh, Goddess Etra..." Eugeo muttered as he placed a hand over his mouth. His teal eyes glistened as tears threatened to fall. Yukio felt a piece of himself shatter when he understood the meaning of the demon's words; of the demon's curse. All the hope he had over the fifteen years crumbled in a mere second. Lady Ellonie tensed.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked. Eugeo looked away. He couldn't answer her as she continued. "I understand that Kirito is trapped somewhere, but I believe that there is a way to free him from the curse, right?"

She received no answer, so she tried again.

"Eugeo, Yukio, what is it? Is there something I'm missing?" she asked. Yukio gritted his teeth and looked at her. She was taken aback by the amount of grief and sorrow she saw though his unguarded eyes.

"Yes..." Yukio's voice was nothing more than a whisper as he continued. "The child he held most dearly at the time..."

It suddenly clicked. Her eyes widened in disbelief and denial. "No. No, that—no! I refuse to believe it!"

"You can't deny it, Ellonie. No matter how hard you try, you can't hide that truth from yourself." Eugeo forced. He couldn't look at her as she stared to tear up.

"There must be a way to—"

"There is no way!" Yukio snapped, harshly as he stood up suddenly. Lady Ellonie flinched at his tone. He towered over her with an expression that was unreadable. With a subdued voice, he went on. "The way you would be looking for can't be done. It'll take years, centuries to save them both. We wouldn't be alive by then."

There was a heavy silence as he paused. Eugeo closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Even though Yukio and I are Wardens, it's beyond our ability to break it."

Yukio sighed lightly and knelt down to look at Lady Ellonie's face. Tears were streaming down her face, uncontrollably. Without thinking, he hugged her. On a normal day, she would've smacked him, but she couldn't. Though she was the Elder, the Head of the village, she was still a woman with a heart. She was still a mother.

He knew that better than anyone else. Over the years that he had lived, he learned that no matter how far up a person goes, or how strong a person is, or how fearless, or stubborn they are, they will still crack. Yukio gently patted the old woman's back to comfort her as her shoulders shook silently. Eugeo got up and sat next to Lady Ellonie, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The twins shared a look as they tried to be strong, but they knew they would break eventually. They seemed to have a silently agreed on something as they nodded to each other.

"We'll stay." Yukio said softly. "We'll stay until our time here is done."

Lady Ellonie never answered. She only wept.

._._._._._.

True to their word, the twins stayed in the village and helped out as much as they could. Yukio hunted down animals to skin and eat and (as odd as it sounded) taught the children of the village with a scary smile on his face. It never looked like it, but he tried to make his smile less scary. He really did. The children, especially one named Silica, decided to call him "Scary". He never really liked it, but he gave up when Kazuto switched from "Yukio-nii" to "Yui-nii" to "Scary-nii" for the sake of the children. Despite his great dislike for the nickname, he was on pretty good terms with everyone.

...Except Asuna.

No matter how hard they tried, they just couldn't get along with each other. They constantly argued over the littlest things for some completely stupid reasons. Although Kazuto found it humorous, the two couldn't ever get on the same terms. Almost every other week they challenged each other to see who was better at anything. But, of course, Asuna always lost to archery and teaching. Yukio always lost to swordsmanship and leadership. He sucked at it since Eugeo was better at it.

Eugeo spent his time teaching the warriors-in-training swordsmanship with Asuna. He taught the important things to know when it came to the battle field and how one should act in and out of battle. He trained those who wanted to learn and did it well. Out of all the teachers, many of the teens turned to him for tips and practice spars. He was better known for his long-enduring patience with all sorts of people. Unlike his brother, he was around the adults, helping with everyday chores and monster hunting. Of course, he got along with everyone. And (odder than Yukio) the children preferred his brother, even though he was very easy to approach.

To put it bluntly, the twins were a great help to the village. For some strange reason, Kazuto just knew his village was in better hands than it was before.

._._.~Three Months Later~._._.

Kazuto waited patiently not too far from the edge of a cliff for Asuna, laying on the lush grass to watch the clouds. Elucidator and Dark Repulsor were no longer with him. Earlier that day, he had returned them to where they belonged. Where his life started will be where they end will be; in the middle of the scorched clearing in the forest far east from the village. He buried them there, not because he wanted to, but because he was asked too. Elucidator had asked him to bury them there. Dark Repulsor said that it would be the closest place they could get to his brother. Kazuto, of course, didn't want to let them go, but, what choice did he have? He respected the swords wishes and did what he was asked.

Just a few days ago, Yukio and Eugeo gave him a letter that they found in the old, burned down house they once lived in, or better known as the scorched clearing. Surprisingly, the paper was slightly singed at the edges and yellowed with age. It made Kazuto wonder how in the world the letter survived a fire and fifteen years of neglect.

The letter was tucked in his inside coat pocket. He read its content over and over and until now, he was still pondering over it. Seriously, how in the world did it survive? Those words on that paper...they were addressed to the twins, but he was glad that they gave it to him. Everything he knew was confirmed. All that he wanted to know was there. And now, there was nothing more that he wanted.

"Kazuto!" called a familiar voice. Kazuto sat up to see Asuna running up to him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I made you wait."

He shook his head as he got up. "It's fine, Asuna. It's not like I'm in a rush or anything."

Kazuto took her hand into his and held it tightly. "Just as long as you come."

Asuna smiled warmly as she squeezed his hand slightly. "I'll always come, Kazuto."

They stood there for a moment, looking at the sky, before Kazuto began to lead her to the edge.

"Hey, Kazuto," Asuna began as she followed him to the edge of the cliff. "What do you want to do for your nineteenth birthday?"

Kazuto paused for a moment and gave her a small frown, "Hmmm, you know, I never thought about that." He turned away and looked up at the sky. A gentle breeze blew by them and he closed his eyes to enjoy it for a second. Although it seemed peaceful, he could sense the change in the atmosphere. Just faintly, he could hear a clock ticking in the distance. Keeping his eyes closed, he answered her question, "I'm going to send a letter."

"...To who? Yukio-san? Eugeo-san?" Asuna asked. He shook his head and turned to her, opening his eyes. A gentle, and hopeful smile appeared on his face.

"I'm going to reply to a letter that was never sent."

"Could I write to that person, too?" Asuna asked as she was pulled into a hug. Kazuto gently laughed into her hair.

"Of course, you can." he said as he ran a hand through her hair. The wind was starting to pick up and he knew there wasn't much time left. Honestly, he didn't have any regrets, but he didn't want to let go of everyone just yet. Especially Asuna.

Over the years, they had grown so close to the point that everyone was sure that they were dating. Neither of them wouldn't deny it, but they never made it official. In fact, they only stayed near and never strayed too far from each other, but, they both knew.

Time was never by their side.

Kazuto pulled away from Asuna and lightly touched his lips on hers before taking a step back. Asuna stared at him with wide eyes and her cheeks flushed red. "K-Kazuto..."

"Asuna," Kazuto began, still holding her hands, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head as tears gathered in her eyes. "No, I'm sorry. This whole time you knew when it'll end. I'm sorry you had to act. It has hard, doing the same as you."

Kazuto smiled hopelessly. "So, you knew, then, that I was only pretending that I forgot about the demon."

Asuna stared at him. "Yes."

"...Then, you know what will happen next." he said softly. Asuna bit her lip and didn't answer, but it was clear that she already knew. Kazuto will never be able to write that letter.

"Asuna, can you do me a favor?" Kazuto asked her. She looked at him with confused eyes.

"Sure," she said, "what is it?"

Kazuto paused and looked up at the sky again. "One day, when the three traits that reflect his heart appear, my brother will return to this world. I want you to tell the twins for me."

"...Scary and I don't get along, Kazuto." she deadpanned. Kazuto laughed lightheartedly.

"Hahaha, it doesn't hurt to try, Asuna."

There was a long silence as they continued to stand there, holding each other's hands tightly. Asuna clearly didn't want to let him go.

"...But...does that mean you'll come back again, too?" she asked silently.

"No." Kazuto answered, "I'll already be there."

Asuna tilted her head, not understanding anything. "Eh?"

In Kazuto's head, he could hear the clock ticks ring louder and louder. Already, he could feel himself slipping away. Every tick and tock felt like a new knife digging into his skin in several places with each passing second. His knees were beginning to weaken and it wouldn't be long until they could no longer hold his weight.

He was fading.

 _'So this is how I'll go...?'_ Kazuto thought to himself. He brought Asuna closer and just held her. He would've kissed her, but then he would run out of time faster than he could blink.

"Nee, Asuna," Kazuto began as he felt her tense in his hold.

"Yes, Kazuto?" Asuna asked, not wanting to step back. She loved the warmth that Kazuto gave her, making her cheeks heat up and her heart flutter. She felt safe and guarded, as if there was nothing to worry about. Nothing to fear. It was only her and the one she had grown to love. He forgave her for the things she had done to him. He gave her a second chance to become friends again. Kazuto never

"When we meet again, would you still love me?" Kazuto asked. Asuna didn't answer him as she reached up to place a hand behind his head and pulled him to her, kissing him on the lips for a good long ten seconds. Though the excitement and the joy, she could feel the love and sorrow that plagued Kazuto. His body was slowly getting colder and soon she could hear bells chiming in the distance. Reluctantly, she pulled away and looked into his obsidian eyes. His face was red from blushing in surprise.

"Does that answer your question?" she asked him. Kazuto couldn't help the smile that appeared on his lips. It wasn't sad, or hopeless; it was a genuine smile of pure joy.

"Yes. Yes, it most certainly does." he told her. The bells were loud now. Asuna hugged Kazuto tightly as she felt the warmth of his body fading away. His hands were as cold as winter's bitter wind and his arms were loosening. The heartbeat in his chest was gradually slowing, and his breathing became shallower. Slowly, Asuna sank to the ground before Kazuto could collapse on her. She was strong, but she most certainly didn't want to drop him.

Kazuto's strength began to slip away. He knew for a fact that someone or something was taking it from him. All nineteen years that he had lived had finally paid the price for Kirito's existence. The curse was finally completed.

He leaned against Asuna and found it harder to stay up. His body felt sore and completely drained. He could no longer feel his legs or arms. The magic that flowed through his veins seeped out of him and dissipated into tiny shattered glass floating in the air.

The sky was still blue as the world around him zoned out. Just faintly, he could hear Asuna singing softly, running a hand through his hair. The words were lost to him, but he knew the tune. They used to sing it many times to cheer each other up when they were children. He remembered one of the lines:

"This isn't good bye. It's just another adventure until we meet again."

He looked at Asuna and noted the tears in her eyes. He felt them fall on his cheek as he struggled to lift a hand to touch her cheek one last time.

"I'll see you soon, Asuna."

His eyes slipped closed and all he heard were the sounds of a clock suddenly stopping.

Kazuto's time...was over.

._._._._._.

_Yukio, Eugeo._

_I could've sworn that these days would never end. With the amount of fun that I had with you two and my little brother, it was hard not to forget that it was all just a break. A bliss of freedom. These past four years had reminded me of what the world is like. But, of course, this peace that I have found will end. We all must choose a path at our crossroads. One path can pull you back several feet, and then suddenly launch you into the air. But, I do not have the luxury to aim at my goal, like an arrow hoping to hit something. The other path could lead you to many open opportunities, and yet you're completely restricted. A Goddess-damn double-edged sword. Four years ago, I was given two options very much like those crossroads._

_I don't know about you two, but I have finally made my choice. I have decided to make my own path. My will to fight has not fled me. You both know as well as I do that I will never go down without a fight. I have chosen to keep fighting to find those better tomorrows. I have dreamed of days were there was no bloodshed, no demons, no swords covered in blood._

_I...I wish to see it. I want to see that future, where the days are brighter and the nights are slightly warmer. I want to believe that one day, all of us will get there. I'm sure Kazuto would love a world like that._

_But, I honestly don't think I will ever be there to see that day, with you guys. No matter which path I choose, it'll eventually lead to the same place._

_My end is drawing near. The trees are already grieving for me. The winds are bidding me goodbye. Several creatures of the earth are giving me pitiful looks. The night is becoming sadder and the days are getting colder. Did you notice? I'm not saying that because it's nearing fall. Heck, even the waters are bidding me goodbye. They would always leave a bittersweet taste in my mouth._

_I think...Kazuto subconsciously knew. It was quite unnerving, too. One day he told me something I couldn't believe a near four-year-old would say. He told me to never leave. It's like he knew._

_Strange, isn't it? My little brother has already grown up (I blame it all on Yukio)._

_I don't know how much time I have left, but I do know that it's unavoidable. I could run away, but where would I go? I have no other place but in this country. Even if I tried, I'll never make it out on time. Kazuto needs to stay in this country. Both of us are bound here by our magic. It was originally this kingdom's gift from the Goddess Etra. We cannot leave. So it's pointless._

_I don't want to die. I really don't. I want to see Kazuto grow up. I want to wake up every morning. I want to craft with Yukio and train with Eugeo. I want to teach Kazuto to use a sword. Not for killing, but for protecting those he will hold dear one day. I want to just live in truth and not a lie._

_I don't want to die. I just don't want to die. If there was anything to change it, then I would've gone for it. "Heathcliff" will come for me soon._

_Although...there is one way. If I kill the real "Demon", then it'll all end. All this pain and suffering. The pointless bloodshed will just cease. I will be freed from my duty as a "Restorer". But, you both already know it is impossible for me. I can never reach their level. But, as always, at the end of the day, I am just a human child with a gift of restoring._

_I'm sorry for not telling you beforehand (and sounding like a babbling idiot)._

_I'm sorry for dying. Take care._

_And farewell._

_—Kirito_

._._.~A Thousand Years (or so) Later~._._.

A small, black-haired boy placed a green leaf in his book as he grew tired from reading. He was sitting underneath a tree that shaded a small part of the garden he stayed. It was more than enough space for him. He leaned against the tree trunk and closed his eyes as he listened to the breeze that swept by him. There were faint voices in the air, but he couldn't make them out. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand it. Although, he knew they were only voices of comfort and assurance.

After a few minutes, he finally opened his midnight blue eyes and saw his father standing before him with a gentle smile. "Papa?"

His father gave him a smile. "There you were. I was looking for you, Kazuto. You made Ryoutarou panic when you weren't in your room this morning. He didn't like the little 'surprise' you left him with earlier either."

The little boy, Kazuto, grinned mischievously, "Well, I guess he doesn't like honey then."

"Kazuto...you should remember that you—" his father began, but Kazuto cut him off.

"—Are next in line to be the King of Aincrad," he said in a laughing tone, "and I should start acting like a Prince. Yeah, yeah, I know, Papa, but I just couldn't help myself! Ryoutarou was being so weird this morning!"

The King of Aincrad sighed at his son's answer. "Then do me a favor and try to stop that urge of yours please."

Kazuto smiled. "Never."

"...Just...don't make it too hard for me, okay, Kazuto?" his father said, giving in to Kazuto's antics. The little nine-year-old boy lit up as if his birthday came early.

"I won't!"

"Now, come along. You need to come back inside." His father held a hand and Kazuto immediately jumped up and took his father's hand. His small hand barely closed around his father's so he clung on to three of his fingers.

"Okay!"

As they began to head back into the castle, Kazuto heard a few voices call out to him. He kept walking and turned his head around to look at the tree. He smiled and waved good bye to it. Under the tree was an abnormally large white tiger sitting on its hunches with its tail curled around his paws. It dipped its head and watched as the boy and his father disappeared into the castle. A breeze blew by and in a blink of an eye, the tiger was gone.

._._._._._.


	6. Explanation of the ENTIRE Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For those who want a more in-depth explanation of this story to get a better grip on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not a real chapter. Just and explanation.
> 
> Sorry, I just realized that I forgot to upload this a loooooong, long, long, time ago..... DX I'm sorry for those who were waiting for this!!!

Now, before I begin, I'd like to thank everyone who read this story, gave kudos, subscribed, and bookmarked this story! You guys are absolutely loved!

Also, this chapter can be used as a reference for the POA. I think I'll also put this up on my profile, too. Only the things that will help explain POA more. :D

So, I know I said that I'll give an explanation and a summary of what happened, so I will. This whole story was based on emotions a lot of us tend to have. So, I'll just explain that here. This will be extensively long, so please...BEAR WITH ME.

._._._._._.

**"Prologue"**

Kazuto had lived a life under the name of his own brother. He was told that his given name "Kirito" was a powerful name that Byakko had provided. Up until the attack, he was trained to fight as a warrior in their village. They have a tradition of changing the names once they become a Warrior. So, pretty much, Kazuto was already a warrior called "Kirito". Asuna was kidnapped from their village seven years ago. Heathcliff promised her that she would be free to do what she wishes as long as she kills Kazuto. As a result, she tried to make it look as real as possible, but she had no intention of actually murdering him. So, the Knights of the Blood Oath basically invaded the village just to decrease the population and get rid of the potential "Demon".

**"Kirito"**

That chapter was just to introduce Kirito. But, as mentioned in the beginning of the chapter, Asuna was feeling guilty for hurting Kazuto in the first place. To her, Kazuto was practically her world. Before she met him, she didn't have any memories of her parents or anything. So, Kazuto was the one who taught her to smile as mentioned in the chapter.

Lady Ellonie later explains to Asuna that she used her as a sacrifice to protect Kazuto seven years ago. Asuna figured that out long before she was told. The Knights of the Blood Oath was led by Heathcliff at the time and they were trying to get rid of Kirito's little brother. They decided to Kill Kazuto because he was considered a demon because his own brother was called a "demon". Of course, that wasn't true.

When the chapter turned to that little portion of Kirito (he was a small kid in this one), it was pretty much summing up his early childhood before he was taken in by Byakko. Byakko is a literal "Guardian". He protects the lands to the west and rules over the season Fall. He also teaches any "Restorer" how to use their powers. In other words, Kirito was trained under that abnormally large tiger.

Next, you see him grown up into a fine fifteen-year-old, running away from the people who want him dead, two weeks after his best friend, Ryoutarou, was murdered. Since his power as a Restorer scares people, he was labeled as a demon. Both of his parents were ridiculed, but they didn't blame him because they loved him. :D

It was said that demons have black blood, but obviously, Kirito bled red so his pursuers figured out that Kirito was just a normal, everyday kid. After falling off the cliff, Kirito ran into Heathcliff, who happened to be around the area. He was pretty much offered his death sentence and given time to think about how he dies: willingly go with Heathcliff to die and spare his friends from sharing the same fate, or don't join and give his friends their untimely death. So, of course, Kirito managed to give himself time to "think about it".

Bluntly stating, he was actually trying to find someway to avoid Heathcliff as long as possible.

**"A Sweet Little Brother"**

This chapter starts off with Yukio, the younger twin of Eugeo. He's the deathly quiet one who makes a majority of the furniture and other things. He's like a craft smith that comes with hunting. Since Eugeo (the twin that does all of the farming, housework, and a pharmacist) asked hi to do a favor, he ended up going out and finding a half-dead Kirito. As the chapter goes, he took him home and the brothers did their best to treat him.

I'll add in something here since I never mentioned it in the story: Two years before this scene, Eugeo and Yukio know Kirito because Kirito actually broke into their house for shelter for one night. They got off on the wrong foot, but eventually, the twins learned that Kirito was just a kid and he was the "Restorer".

Now, going back to the chapter, Kirito woke up after a week and explains that he was attacked during a restoring ceremony. To elaborate, the ceremony is just renewing the life around the area, or "reversing time". Restoring an area actually takes a portion of the Restorer's life to make up for time renewed.

Of course, Etra wouldn't let her restorers die an early death, so she would give them the life she creates. She is, after all, the Goddess of Life. XD

After a month of recovering under Yukio's watchful eye and Eugeo's herbal care, Kirito completed the ceremony and visited his parents because he wanted to see them after so long....and because Eugeo sent a letter to them about the recent events, so he didn't want them to worry too much. Although, once he got there, he found out that his dad is gone and his mother had another son. Once he met with his mother, he was forced to leave with Kazuto, leaving her behind.

Byakko knew about this because his mother asked for the tiger to take Kazuto away. Since I made it unclear of what happened to his mother, I'm not going to be gentle about it.

She died when the Authorities figured out she hid Kazuto away. Don't worry, I'll explain the government in a bit. DX

Now, on to when the chapter changes to Kazuto's side!

A week after Kazuto woke up, he had this urge to go to some place. He didn't resist anymore and Asuna tagged along. Long story, short, they met Heathcliff at the ruins.

**"Dearest Older Brother"**

This starts off with Kirito chasing his little brother after a bath by the river. XD I loved writing that part because it seemed like fun! Anyway, that portion of the chapter was meant to show the peaceful life Kirito managed to live for four years without running into Heathcliff. In other words...it's like he ran away from him. And...I kinda used it as an excuse to to write something kinda funny. XD

Anyway! Going back to the story when Kazuto is at the ruins with Asuna....

There, the group found Heathcliff. Now, I know this is where things get complicated so please bear with me.

The Heathcliff they met was the "real" one. This Heathcliff was the kind-hearted man before he was possessed by a demon. Heck, Heathcliff and Kirito were acquaintances on good terms before Heathcliff was possessed. When he just became the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath, he was deeply in love with a woman. She suddenly murdered the night of their engagement. Because of that reason, Heathcliff developed a strong determination to hunt down whoever murdered her as revenge. That's when the demon took him over and twisted that revenge into something greater, eventually leading it to Kirito's hunt to back up the fact that Kirito was the "demon".

The demon itself has no name, but if I were to really give him one, it would be "Desire". Why? Simply because it only wants one thing. It wants to get rid of all of the Restorers. Without them, the world dies gradually. It manipulates the emotions of humans and enjoys the "fun" that happens after.

Now that I've explained that...Back to the story....

When Kazuto confronts Heathcliff, he kept telling him that Heathcliff was already forgiven. In truth, Kirito had been finding a way to free Heathcliff from the demon, but he couldn't...after all, he was only thirteen-years-old when he swore to free Heathcliff.

Kazuto's memories of his brother was actually sealed up by Byakko, so that's why he was actually thanking Heathcliff for ordering Asuna to stab him. :D

After Kazuto left the scene, Heathcliff actually faded away. His physical body was actually destroyed since the demon was done with him. Asuna and Kazuto really just met with the last remaining thoughts Heathcliff felt. Those thoughts were so strong that it became a real person for a short while. So, in other words, they met a spirit that was stuck in between. The urge Kazuto felt was Etra telling him to go and free Heathcliff so he can fully "pass on".

The last paragraph: "A gentle breeze blew by, ruffling the red grass and the lily. The flower danced in the wind, twisting and turning, lonely in the empty space." was just a discreet way of saying Heathcliff was gone. Or bluntly put, dead.

Then, as you all know, Asuna and Kazuto were attacked by the damned demon. Kazuto managed to obtain Dark Repulser and Elucidator. He actually remembered the spells that Kirito chanted to get the blades to appear in his hands. So, because he shared the the same blood with Kirito, Kazuto was able to use the swords.

After the demon leaves them, Kazuto knew that his memories had to be "repressed". But, he actually faked it, because he wanted to make the demon believe that he really did forget. Of course, he had to make the act look convincing, so that's what led to his strange behavior toward the end of the chapter.

Now, it's time to explain...the Curse. Let's see what the demon said before he "killed" Kirito:

**"Your time will never move again! Your time will be frozen! Not a second more, not a second less! To the child you hold dear will pay the price of your mere existence in the worlds! For the rest of eternity, you will suffer the chains of the Cardinal!"**

Ahahaha....Well obviously, the first few sentences means that Kirito's time is on hold forever. He, as stated in POA, "can't age or die". It's just...stopped. Even the organs in his body stopped working, meaning he doesn't get hungry or thirsty. As mentioned in POA, Kirito literally tried to kill himself several hundred times, but he was never successful. Suicide is not an option for him.

The line, "To the child you hold dear will pay the price of your mere existence" is pertaining to Kirito's little brother, Kazuto. Kirito loved Kazuto dearly and would do anything to protect him. The demon was well aware of that, so it decided to use Kazuto as a way to hurt Kirito more. But, as you can see, Kirito actually smiled and said, "And this curse will be the end of you, Demon."

That meant that he had the confidence that the curse will somehow break the chain of Restorers dying by the Demon. He also believed that Kazuto would do something to truly prevent the Demon from winning. Even if it took years.

Next, "For the rest of eternity, you will suffer the chains of the Cardinal!" This is where the curse becomes pretty damn complicated. Cardinal resides in a place called the Realm of Dreams that is mentioned in POA. It's like a separate world parallel to Reality. Cardinal is considered as the foundation of the Worlds (Dreams and Reality) and its clock tower sees all. Which means, all history is stored there. All dying spirits pass through there, leaving their memories behind as they go somewhere else. The Clock Tower is also Kirito's Prison. The Cardinal is the small girl mentioned at the end of the chapter. She had been around ever since the Worlds were founded. She asks Kirito to forgive her, because she carried the burden of seeing everything for far too long, and she finally had someone to share a bit of her burden with. All of her "chains" were actually transferred to Kirito the moment he arrived in the Clock Tower. I won't tell much because Kirito himself will explain more in POA. :D

And Finally, the last chapter!

**"The Two Swordsmasters"**

Now....this chapter...well, it's more of an epilogue four years after "Dearest Older Brother". But anyway, Yukio and Eugeo came back from something and they found Kirito hunting with his friends. Kazuto is a bit of an air head here because he was pretty much living his life as the next leader in their village, seeing how he was the adoptive son of Ellonie.

Yukio and Eugeo had a conversation with Ellonie when they arrived at the town...they were talking about their duty obviously. Yukio and Eugeo are Wardens (there's a description of what a Warden is further down). The rules are, when a Warden dies, then any available Warden is wicked away to immediately take over. They don't even get the chance to even say good bye or anything. So, the twins disappearing made Ellonie fear that they were dead. They trusted that Ellonie would take in Kazuto, so they left with little worry.

They were also well aware of Kirito being "dead", but they weren't aware of anything else. Ellonie told them that Kazuto was taken in by Byakko to seal up the memories and the events of Kazuto getting hurt to getting attacked by the Demon...and the curse placed on both brothers. Since they couldn't do anything, they did what they could to make sure Kazuto lived happily.

Three months later, Kazuto was almost nineteen, he returned Elucidator and Dark Repulser, and kind of asked Asuna out. On that cliff, Kazuto was saying his good byes. He also mentioned that in the future, he will be there again. If anything, that actually meant he had something planned.

The letter that Kirito wrote was just something that he felt when he knew he was going to die. As a restorer, he would know when he would die, considering his job. He also mentioned about a world where it was peaceful. You know, practically a lot of people's wishes. He had the hope for it and the focus on seeing another day. He believes in the Promise of Tomorrows.

The Promise of Tomorrows is just that. It's just my way of saying that there will definitely be another day that a person can look forward to. :D

And the very last portion....The Thousand Years later portion was....well, you should've already figured that out. I mean, I dropped too many hints already!

._._._._._.

I've noticed I should've explained the roles of the characters more. So, I'll explain the thing I should've mentioned in the story or even wrote a paragraph or two about.

** -The Country- **

The whole story is based on a country called "Xeress" that was formed long before Aincrad. The whole land is actually ruled by not a king or queen. There is no military force.

 **Authority**  – A group of people whose word is law. The Authority believes that they are the chosen people the Goddess Etra chose to rule. Of course, most were delusional and it wasn't true. They come up with what's right and what's wrong. Their laws are generally correct, just, sometimes it seems unreasonable.

 **Guilds**  – Groups of people who gave themselves something to do. Many of them were created to be the security of Xeress. In a way, about half of the guilds at the time were helping the Authority to place in new rules and such. Most of the time, the Guilds are used to reassure the people from the dangers around them. Of course, there are good and bad Guilds. The very first Guild was the Knights of the Blood Oath. It is also the oldest. Heathcliff in the story was the eighty-ninth leader of the guild.

** -The Goddess- **

**Etra**  – The Goddess of Life/Light. She is known to care for human lives, especially those she chooses to inherit her Gifts and Duties. Contrary to belief, Etra never chose anyone to rule since it's not a duty she made. She has the habit of helping the humans and Faeries alike and is very kind. But, though she is kind, the things she does always has a price. Mostly, it's painful.

 **Amire**  – The Goddess of Death/Darkness. She is (obviously) known to play with lives as if they are toys. She sends her demons to do their part and prefers to sit back and watch. She absolutely hates Etra even though they are twins. She would do anything to wreck Etra's plans and cause conflicts for the Children of Etra. Her favorite demon is "Desire".

** -The Children of Etra- **

They are the people (no matter the age) that Etra chooses to handle the Duties that she assigns them to. They can never complete their Duty because it is constant. There isn't an end. Kirito, Kazuto, Eugeo, and Yukio are one of the few Children. They normally are chosen the moment they are born. With each Duty, it comes with a certain ability, or better known as, The Gifts of Etra.

** -The Duties and The Gifts of Etra- **

There are several that were never mentioned, but I'll put in some to put a bit of sense in it. Also, take note that all (except Sustainers) know how to fight and not all have to be a Human or a Faerie.

 **Restorer**  – Renews contracts, replenishes the life in the earth. Bluntly said, their gift is, well, restoring things. It returns material things to the prime of its time. They may seem like they can revive the dead, but they can't. They can't revive dead animals or people, Faerie and Humans alike. Although, they can revive areas with plants, it depends entirely on their physical strength, energy, and stability. Kirito was able to restore about two and a half miles in five minutes. So, if he wanted to restore ten miles, then it would take him twenty minutes. But, of course, each and every Restorer is different. For example, the previous Restorer before Kirito was stronger than him. On a normal scale of one to ten (one being the weakest, and ten being like...Sephiroth-Strong) in power and physical strength, Kirito was an eight, above average, but his energy was a six...

 **Guardians**  – Obviously the protectors of the land. They are above Authority and no one can tell them what to do. They do what they wish as long as it is within Etra's will. There is a Guardian for each of the four main directions: North, South, East, and West. As mentioned in the story, Byakko is a Guardian. I originally took him from the Chinese/Japanese Myth and made him a guardian (It's pretty close to the original, but I made it my own by changing several things). Their gift was the overwhelming strength they had and the smarts to avoid large conflicts verbally. The Guardians had a set of rules that they follow, But Byakko broke a few and Etra just excused him for it. Taking in Kirito and Kazuto was against the rules (which will be explained a bit later). On the scale of power, energy and physical strength, Byakko is a nine (he's a big, pretty tiger! :D). Many more will be mentioned later in the Prince of Aincrad.

 **Sustainers**  – Keeps the flow of life running. They can't fight because it'll wreck the flow. That is their hugest weakness. They depend heavily on the Restorers to renew the life in the earth. Their gift was seeing the stream of life and knowing where every bit went. Of course, they stay hidden from sight to avoid conflict. It's not easy. They are generally around a ten or nine on the scale in both power and energy. Even though they are that strong, they are the weakest with their physical strength with a score of one to three.

 **Wardens**  – Protects the Seal that is placed over the Realm of Dreams. The Seal is there to prevent souls to enter the Realm. Normally, there is only one Warden at the location, but unless that one dies, any available Warden is literally ripped out of the Real World to the Entrance. Yukio and Eugeo were twins so they ended up going together. On the scale of power and physical strength, the twins were eight and a half. Their energy was a seven.

 **Knights**  – Directly in contact with the Goddess and delivers the will of Etra to the other Children of Etra. Also doubles as guardians. They're mostly found on an errand for Etra. On the scale, they are generally seven in power, energy, and strength.

 **Priest/Priestess**  – Preforms ceremonies to the Goddess for the people. They mostly ask help from Etra and thank her for practically anything. Their power is a five; it doesn't have much power because Etra chooses which to do, but it does get noticed. Their physical strength depends if they want to learn or not. Some don't, some do. Their energy is an eight.

Okay, now that I've told you about that, I think now is a good time to give a bit of information about the village that Kazuto and Kirito (kinda) grew up in. I never gave the village a name because I got lazy, but I guess you could call it "Gailes". (hint, hint).

Now, the Elder of the village is usually the leader. Lady Ellonie was fifty-something when she took in Kirito, and she was already an elder. She didn't want to be called Grandma, so she made everyone just call her "Mother" or "Lady Ellonie". The Elder can do whatever she wants but must stick to the traditions of the Village.

(That whole portion is like a dictionary to comeback to if something in POA made no sense)

._._._._._.

The Main Reason I Wrote The Story

It was mostly just to show how forgiveness in times like these are important. And, that even if there was some much bad things happening to you, you can still go on. If Kirito can survive falling off a cliff with heavy injuries, smile at the face of a crazy demon, love those who hate him greatly, then, you can too.

Lady Ellonie actually represented "Attachment". She couldn't let go of the one thing she loved dearly. As a result, it only brought her more pain.

Asuna was "Guilt". She felt completely guilty for hurting Kazuto and being unable to leave Heathcliff for the longest time.

Yukio was "Regret". He was told to watch over Kazuto as he grew, but he didn't take the opportunity to get back because he placed his duty before himself. He actually lied about being unable to leave. Eugeo just played along.

Heathcliff was "Revenge". The demon pretty much turned his love into revenge on the wrong target. Because sometimes, people need someone to blame. In this case, the demon placed the blame on Kirito and caused Heathcliff to extract revenge.

Eugeo was "Optimistic". He looks at things positively. He's like that one friend that just seems to ease the most serious situations with a simple word. He's more like a comforter in a way.

Kazuto was "Forgiveness". He forgave everything bad that happened. He didn't want to hold any grudges since he knew it would weigh heavily. Sure, it's hard to let it go (NOT THE GODDESS-DAMN SONG, THANK YOU) when you have so much hatred or anger. Throwing the blame around doesn't help either. Kazuto forgave Heathcliff because he knew that he couldn't really blame him. And plus, it would only cause him to get upset. Trust me, it's better to forgive and forget. D:

Kirito was "Hope". He looked forward to each day even though it seemed pointless. He didn't loose his will to live, even to the end. He mostly lived on because of his belief of seeing the next day. Maybe you should try it. If things seem to get bad, it wouldn't hurt to live another day, nee? :D

Okay....that's all. I'm DONE. So, now that I've explained everything ( I hope), what do you guys think? Does it all make more sense now?!

 


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